^m^mMmt^^ 


l',Uk%'i 


1  ('! 


THE  CASE 
AGAINST 

MORMONISM 


WEBB 


^ 


%,*.,<^JM) 'rrM^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/caseagainstmormoOOwebbrich 


THE   CASE  AGAINST 
MORMONISM 


A  plain  discussion  and  analysis  of  the  stock  allegations  and 
arguments  against  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
Day  Saints  and  its  founder,  Joseph  Smith,  loith  the 
intention  of  determining  their  evidential  value, 
also  their  actual  significance  to  the  claims 
made  for  the  system  of  teaching  and 
practice,  popularly  known  as 
"Mormonism.^* 


BY 

ROBERT  C.  WEBB 

Non-  "Mormon" 


"Why  has  Mormonism  been  so  much  misunderstood  f 
Simply  because  the  Evangelical  churches  saw  in  its  suc- 
cess their  own  downfall,  and  they  dare  not  let  their 
own  followers  know  what  Mormonism  really  is,  lest  they 
should  embrace  it." — Charle*  EUU,  non-*' Mormon," 


NEW  YORK 

L.  L.  WALTON 

1915 


Copyright  1915 
By  L.  L.  WALTON 


THE  CASE  AGAINST 
MORMONISM 

INTRODUCTION 
MORMONISM  AND  ITS  CRITICS 

Anti-Mormon  Literature. — In  almost  any  large 
public  library  one  may  discover  several  hundred 
books,  large  and  small,  dealing  with  the  general  sub- 
ject of  *'Mormonism."  A  goodly  percentage  of  such 
books  are  unfriendly  criticisms  of  the  system  and  its 
founder:  almost  none,  even  those  written  by  scholars 
and  men  of  attainment — such  men  usually  try  to  be 
fair,  and  *'see  both  sides'' — even  attempt  to  be  favor- 
able. The  situation  as  regards  the  system  known  as 
**Mormonism,''  its  founder  and  people,  is  a  curious 
one ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  doubtful  that  considerable 
injustice  has  been  done  all  of  them.  Also,  as  a  side- 
issue,  we  may  claim  that  the  world  has  missed  ac- 
quaintance with  several  highly  significant  facts,  of 
interest  in  theology,  sociology  and  economics,  just  be- 
cause we  have  formed  the  evil  habit  of  condemning 
the  system  under  discussion  and  its  adherents,  without 
the  formality  of  a  fair  trial. 

Anti-Mormon  Arguments. — A  certain  noted  humor- 
ist, in  a  line  of  advice  to  the  prospective  traveler  in 
our  country,  added  to  other  matters  relating  to  the 
West,  **And  don't  fail  to  get  a  whack  at  the  Mor- 
mons." He  was  merely  reiterating  what  has  been  the 
sentiment  in  certain  quarters  as  to  the  correct  attitude 


2         THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

toward  these  people,  ever  since  they  first  appeared 
upon  earth.  Thus,  as  is  not  too  much  to  say,  the 
average  anti-Mormon  book  is  simply  the  result  of  a 
determination  in  the  mind  of  its  author  to  force  such 
facts  as  he  may  know  about  Mormonism  and  its 
founder  into  such  a  complete  indictment  of  both,  that 
the  public  must  share  his  preconceived  opinion  that 
** Mormonism"  is  merely  a  word  synonymous  with 
'turpitude, "  and  that  ** Joseph  Smith" — ^the  name 
of  the  founder  of  the  system — is  merely  a  combination 
denoting,  in  this  connection,  something  like  **vaga- 
bondish  imposture."  It  is  scarcely  remarkable,  then, 
that  the  average  argument  against  the  system  and  its 
adherents  is  no  less  than  frivolously  absurd — and  that, 
quite  apart  from  anything  that  may  be  urged  *  ^  on  the 
other  side" — also,  that  the  most  ridiculous  theories 
have  been  advanced  and  defended,  merely  to  put 
** Mormonism"  in  such  a  light  that  no  sane  person 
could  possibly  suppose  it  otherwise  than  a  mere  tissue 
of  meaningless  verbigeration  and  irredeemable  deprav- 
ity. The  candid  observer  of  all  this  can  scarcely  fail 
to  conclude  that  there  must  be  something  really  inter- 
esting in  a  system,  in  opposition  to  which  people  will 
thus  stultify  themselves  and  lie,  as  so  many  anti-Mor- 
mon writers  have  done,  and  which,  in  spite  of  the  con- 
temptible character  ascribed  to  it,  still  seems  suffi- 
ciently important  to  excite  so  great  antipathy. 

A  Careful  Study  Desirable. — ^What  is  needed  in 
the  premises  is  a  careful  and  conscientious  examina- 
tion of  the  origin  and  claims  of  '*  Mormonism, "  in 
order  that  intelligent  people  may  oppose  it  intelli- 
gently, if  so  disposed,  or,  in  any  event,  estimate  at  a 
fair  appraisal  this  system  of  teaching  and  practice. 
Within  a  very  few  months  this  very  attempt  was 
made  by  a  prominent  Methodist  theologian,  who,  as 
stated  in  his  preface,  proposed  to  make  ''a  comprehen- 
sive and  thoroughly  articulated  criticism  of  the  Mor- 
mon religion."  This  effort  was  published  under  the 
hopeful  title,  '*A  Fourfold  Test  of  Mormonism,"  its 


MORMONISM  AND  ITS  CRITICS  3 

author  being  the  Rev.  Henry  Clay  Sheldon,  Professor 
of  Systematic  Theology  in  Boston  University.  As 
suggested  by  his  title,  he  divides  his  treatment  into 
four  heads  or  sections,  called,  respectively:  (1)  His- 
torical Test;  (2)  Critical  Test;  (3)  Rational  Test ;  (4) 
Practical  Test.  In  outlining  his  proposed  treatment, 
this  author  writes: 

"Scholars  generaUy  have  had  such  a  lively  impression  of 
the  utter  groundlessness  of  the  claims  of  Mormonism  that 
they  have  been  inclined  to  shrink  from  awarding  those  claims 
any  serious  consideration.  We  can  appreciate  this  mental 
attitude;  but  we  remind  ourselves  that  it  is  not  always  wise 
and  profitable  to  follow  the  dictates  of  even  a  just  disdain. 
Apart  from  its  intrinsic  merits,  a  system  which  seeks  to 
perpetuate  and  extend  itself  by  a  great  force  of  missionaries 
kept  constantly  in  the  field  may  well  be  awarded  a  measure 
of  careful  scrutiny.  This  conviction  has  led  us  to  prepare 
the  present  treatise." 

Sheldon's  ** Fourfold  Test."— After  reading  this 
fair  promise  and  grand  guarantee  of  fair  and  intelli- 
gent consideration,  it  is  with  genuine  regret  that  one 
discovers  that  the  author  of  the  book  in  question  has 
carried  his  iuvestigations  no  further,  apparently,  than 
the  covers  of  some  half  dozen  familiar  and  standard 
anti-Mormon  diatribes,  which  he  seems  to  consider 
quite  in  the  light  of  authoritative,  careful  and  schol- 
arly productions.  It  is  regrettable,  also,  that,  with 
all  his  scholarship  and  evident  mental  acumen,  he 
seems  unable  to  perceive  the  essential  rottenness  of  the 
favorite  theories  on  the  origin  and  significance  of 
Mormonism,  and  the  utterly  contemptible  character  of 
the  ** evidence''  upon  which  they  are  based.  He  has 
done  one  great  service  to  the  cause  of  fair  and  candid 
discussion,  and  that  is  to  summarize  briefly  and  forci- 
bly the  main  points  of  anti-Mormon  allegation,  giviug 
his  reader  a  tangible  body  of  contention  to  analyze 
and  criticize,  in  the  process  of  forming  his  own  opin- 
ion on  the  matters  at  issue.  Since,  however,  there 
would  be  no  use  in  attempting  a  careful  examination 
of  the  claims  of  Mormonism,  until  the  charges  of  anti- 
Mormon  writers  have  been  disposed  of,  we  may  begin 


4         THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

our  study  of  the  subject  by  carefully  analyzing  these 
charges,  with  a  view  to  determining  how  far  they  are 
actually  effective  in  discrediting  or  obscuring  the 
claims  made  on  the  other  side,  and  the  real  issues  at 
stake  in  the  controversy.  Professor  Sheldon  has  pro- 
posed himself  as  the  champion  of  anti-Mormonism,  and 
it  is  only  fair  that  his  challenge  be  accepted. 

What  Mormonism  Is. — As  may  be  unnecessary  to 
state  at  the  present  time,  the  system  popularly  known 
as  ''Mormonism''  was  founded  on  the  teachings  of 
Joseph  Smith  (1805-44),  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a 
resident  of  New  York  State  through  most  of  his  early 
life,  who  claimed  to  have  had  revelations  from  God, 
in  the  form  of  visions  and  theophanies,  and  to  have 
been  authorized  to  act  as  agent  in  restoring  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ,  which,  according  to  these  same  visions, 
had  been  ''made  of  none  effect"  by  the  apostasy  of 
the  whole  of  Christendom.  In  addition  to  numerous 
special  revelations  given  at  various  times,  Smith 
claimed  to  have  received  the  manuscript  of  an  ancient 
record  inscribed  on  "plates  having  the  appearance  of 
gold,"  and  to  have  been  able  to  translate  them  "by 
the  gift  and  power  of  God."  The  translation  was 
published  under  the  name  "Book  of  Mormon,"  and  is 
recognized  by  the  disciples  of  Smith  to  this  very  day 
as  "the  word  of  God"  in  a  very  real  and  sufficient 
sense.  In  addition  to  these  marks  of  his  prophetic 
office,  Smith  founded  the  organization,  known  as  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  which 
claims  to  be  the  vehicle  of  the  restored  Gospel,  and 
made  himself  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  history  of 
his  time,  as  a  successful  founder  of  cities  and  settle- 
ments of  his  disciples,  and  as  a  vigorous  and  original 
thinker  along  political,  sociological  and  theological 
lines.  Many  of  his  ideas  on  these  subjects,  as  we  shall 
see  later,  are  notable,  while  his  foundation  and  ad- 
ministering of  the  organization  of  his  Church,  a  mas- 
terpiece of  executive  genius,  example  his  ability  in 
practical  affairs.    His  life,  however,  was  a  stormy  one 


MORMONISM  AND  ITS  CRITICS  5 

— ^his  successes  and  achievements  being  opposed  or 
neutralized  by  constant  displays  of  violence  on  the 
part  of  his  opponents — and  was  closed  by  his  brutal 
murder  in  the  jail  at  Carthage,  111.,  in  June,  1844. 
Apart  from  the  broad  claims  made  by  Smith  and  his 
disciples — which  must  excite  the  resentment  and  oppo- 
sition of  other  religious  bodies— it  would  be  difficult 
to  explain  the  bitterness  with  which  he  and  his  people 
have  always  been  attacked.  From  the  very  day  of  its 
organization,  when  it  consisted  of  but  six  persons,  all 
of  them  inconspicuous  and  unlearned,  this  Church  has 
been  the  object  of  violent  attacks,  physical,  verbal 
and  judicial.  It  would  be  absurd  to  state  that 
these  doings  resulted  from  the  errors  taught  by  Smith, 
or  even  came  as  a  consequence  to  his  own  bad  conduct 
or  that  of  his  followers.  However  much  the  disor- 
derly elements  may  have  detested  him  or  them,  it  is 
quite  evident  that  the  violence  with  which  ** Mormon'' 
history  abounds,  was  in  a  very  large  number  of  cases 
directly  encouraged  by  the  abusive  harangues  of  men 
in  authority  politically  or  religiously.  It  is  also  dis- 
couraging to  read  that  ordained  preachers  of  various 
denominations  were  often  in  the  mobs  that  committed 
actual  and  grievous  violence  on  persons  and  destroyed 
property. 

Character  of  ''Mormon"  Teachings. — In  many 
particulars  the  teachings  introduced  by  Joseph  Smith, 
and  followed  to  this  very  day  by  his  Church  repre- 
sented radical  departures  from  traditional  standards. 
Foremost  among  these  departures,  in  point  of  time, 
at  any  rate,  may  be  mentioned  the  doctrine  of  **  gath- 
ering," according  to  which,  the  new  church  was  not 
to  be  merely  a  new  body  of  belief  and  practice  in 
things  religious,  but  was  to  form  the  actual  nucleus 
of  social  and  community  life.  As  a  consequence,  the 
significance  of  the  new  movement  may  have  been  for 
many  minds  something  primarily  political — ^hence  a 
** menace"  to  society,  as  is  claimed  to  this  very  day. 
It  is  only  fair  to  say,  however,  that  the  idea  in  the 


6         THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

mind  of  Joseph  Smith  was  rather  the  foundation  of  a 
** peculiar  people,"  a  modern  Israel,  in  which  should 
be  made  possible  the  moral  and  ethical  teachings  of 
the  New  Testament.  An  early  attempt  at  actual  com- 
munity of  property,  or  of  ** consecrated  property'' 
was  made  in  the  so-called  *' United  Order,''  or  Order 
of  Enoch,  but  its  failure  by  no  means  eliminated  the 
ideal  of  cooperation  among  the  people,  which  is  still 
held  and  followed  to  a  great  extent.  The  first '  *  gath- 
ering place"  of  the  Mormons  was  at  Kirtland,  Ohio, 
where  they  formed  a  thriving  and  populous  settle- 
ment, built  a  temple^  and  gathered  their  new  acces- 
sions to  their  faith.  This  locality  was  abandoned  in 
1837,  largely  because  of  increasing  opposition,  both 
political  and  religious,  on  the  part  of  their  neighbors, 
and  large  settlements  were  made  in  "Western  Missouri. 
Here  again  violence  arose  within  a  very  few  months, 
much  augmented  probably  by  the  fact  that  the  ma- 
jority of  the  Mormon  settlers  were  from  the  Northern 
and  Eastern  States,  hence  opposed  to  slavery.  Quite 
apart  from  the  evidently  wanton  charges  of  thieving, 
etc.,  made  by  their  enemies,  it  may  be  said  that  the 
fear  that  a  large  anti-slavery  population  might  con- 
trol the  State  on  the  most  vexed  issue  then  before  the 
country  was  undoubtedly  the  reason  for  the  extraordi- 
nary violence  of  the  mobs,  and  the  brutal  severity  of 
the  state  decrees  issued  against  the  Mormons.  Of 
course,  as  in  other  places,  the  religious  prejudices  of 
the  populace  were  industriously  exploited,  as  even  to 
the  present  day.  But  neither  of  these  ** causes'* 
should  justify  the  wanton  doings  of  the  *' righteous 
element,"  nor  excuse  murder  and  violence.  After 
being  driven  from  the  State  of  Missouri,  the  Mormons 
traveled  east,  and  formed  settlements  in  Eastern  Iowa 
and  Western  Illinois,  along  the  banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi Eiver.  Here  they  founded  the  city  of  Nauvoo, 
which  saw  an  existence  of  prosperity  for  seven  years 
(1839-46)  in  their  control.  Within  a  few  years,  how- 
ever, violent  opposition  again  manifested  itself,  not 


MOEMONISM  AND  ITS  CRITICS  7 

because  of  the  dishonesty  of  the  Mormons,  as  some 
claim,  but  largely  because  of  political  and  sectional 
feelings,  coupled,  of  course,  with  sectarian  spite,  which 
may  be  gathered  from  the  historical  account  left  by 
Governor  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  an  active  figure  in 
the  public  life  of  the  State  during  the  entire  period 
of  Mormon  occupation  of  Nauvoo,  and  Governor  at 
the  time  of  the  murder  of  Joseph  Smith.  After  this 
tragic  event,  the  opposition  sedulously  fostered  against 
the  Mormons  grew  in  bulk  and  severity,  with  the  re- 
sult that  the  entire  population,  with  very  few  excep- 
tions, migrated  from  Nauvoo  in  the  winter  of  1846, 
and  journeyed  overland  to  the  confines  of  the  present 
State  of  Utah.  Even  in  this  sequestered  region  popu- 
lar opposition  could  not  be  stilled,  and  many  things 
were  done  which  show  this.  However,  this  is  merely 
history,  also  the  record  of  events,  in  which,  as  in  all 
things  human,  there  are  *Hwo  sides''  that  should  be 
considered  by  the  intelligent  reader. 

Why  Mormons  are  Disliked. — In  seeking  for  a 
justification  of  the  popular  habit  of  abusing  and  agi- 
tating against  Mormonism  and  Mormons  it  must  be 
insisted  that  history  does  not  show  that  all  the  fault, 
nor  even  the  greater  part  of  it  was  on  their  side.  The 
charges  that  they  committed  acts  of  violence  and  bri- 
gandage themselves,  is  by  no  means  established  by 
respectable  evidence,  and  was  not  made  by  contempo- 
raries, except  in  Missouri.  Indeed,  Governor  Ford 
attempts  to  explain  the  mobocracy  of  Illinois  on  po- 
litical grounds.    He  says  of  the  ** Mormons,"  in  fact: 

"Scattered  throughout  the  country,  they  might  have  lived 
in  peace  like  other  religious  sects,  but  they  insisted  upon 
their  right  to  congregate  in  one  great  city.  The  people  were 
determined  that  they  should  not  exercise  this  right;  and  it 
will  be  seen  in  the  sequel  of  this  history,  that  in  their  case, 
as  in  every  other  case  where  large  bodies  of  people  are  as- 
sociated to  accomplish  with  force  an  unlawful  but  popular 
object,  the  government  is  powerless  against  such  combina- 
tions (mobs,  Ac.)." — History  of  Illinois,  p.  251. 

Anti-Mormon     Persecutions,— ]iVTiile,     as     Ford 


8         THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

claims,  political  considerations  may  have  been  power- 
ful in  the  anti-Mormon  mobbings  in  Illinois,  as  well 
as  in  Missouri,  where  the  anti-slavery  sentiments  of 
most  of  the  ** Mormons"  was  undoubtedly  a  strong 
factor  in  inciting  violence  against  them,  it  is  not  too 
much  to  claim  that  the  leaders  in  both  States  were  of 
the  same  stripe  as  those  who  precipitated  the  *' Know- 
Nothing"  atrocities  against  the  Catholics  in  the  early 
and  middle  *^ fifties"  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 
This  view,  indeed,  has  been  expressed  by  several  well- 
informed  persons,  notably  Hon.  A.  B.  Carlton,  Chair- 
man of  the  Utah  Commission  appointed  by  Congress 
in  1882.     He  says  in  a  book  published  in  1891 : 

"The  advocacy  of  religious  liberty  is  no  new  thing  with 
the  author  of  this  volume.  More  than  a  third  of  a  century 
ago,  he  defended  the  Catholic  against  the  Know-Nothing 
crusade.  He  was  not  a  Catholic  and  is  a  native  of  America, 
as  were  his  ancestors  for  many  generations;  but  a  sense  of 
justice  and  devotion  to  the  Constitution,  together  with  a 
natural  disposition  to  take  the  side  of  the  under  dog  in  the 
fight,  impelled  him  to  take  an  active  part  in  opposition  to 
bigotry,  intolerance  and  persecution.  It  is  curious  to  ob- 
serve that  the  same  war  cries  and  catch-words  were  invoked 
in  the  crusade  against  the  Catholics  as  are  now  employed 
against  the  Mormons,  for  example,  'allegiance  to  a  foreign 
power';  'abject  obedience  to  the  commands  of  the  head  of  the 
Church*;  'danger  of  the  government  being  overthrown'; 
'Americans  must  rule,'  etc.  In  those  days,  too,  similar  means 
were  employed  to  inflame  the  public  mind.  Books  purport- 
ing to  be  written  by  apostate  priests  and  escaped  nuns,  em- 
bellished with  monstrous  pictures,  were  circulated  all  over 
the  country." — Wonderlands  of  the  Wild  West,  p.  344. 

Know-Nothing  Atrocities. — Judge  Carlton  then  re- 
cords that  the  Know-Nothing  agitation  culminated 
*^in  the  murder  of  a  large  number  of  Catholics  and 
foreigners,  and  the  burning  of  churches  and  dwell- 
ings in  Louisville,  Ky.,"  in  1855;  doings  precisely 
similar  to  things  done  to  the  '^Mormons"  in  Missouri, 
and  quite  analogous  in  nature  and  intent  to  the 
sumptuary  legislation  passed  by  Congress  in  the 
*' eighties"  at  the  behest  of  sectarian  agitators. 
"Whatever  may  be  the  character  of  either  Catholics  or 


MOEMONISM  AND  ITS  CRITICS  9 

''Mormons/'  such  lines  of  behaviour  can  find  no  ex- 
cuse in  any  calm  and  reflective  mind.  Yet  such  is 
constantly  the  attitude  of  bigoted  and  superstitious 
minds,  who  are  not  content  to  observe  the  Constitu- 
tional guarantees  to  our  people  to  believe  as  they 
please,  and  to  be  respected  in  their  beliefs,  so  long 
as  they  create  no  public  disorders. 

Bigotry  Resurgent. — In  view  of  such  facts  as  are 
embodied  in  the  foregoing  quotations,  evidences,  one 
and  all,  that  the  bigotry  and  persecuting  spirit,  so 
hideously  rampant  throughout  history,  are  not  yet 
dead,  it  is  scarcely  remarkable  that,  in  many  quarters, 
detestation  and  condemnation  are  considered  the 
proper  sentiments  toward  Smith  and  the  * '  Mormons, ' ' 
even  when  dignified  by  the  comparatively  mild  term, 
''just  disdain."  Such  attitudes  have  led  to  the  writ- 
ing and  publication  of  numerous  books  about  "Mor- 
monism,''  which  contain  so  many  such  utterly  pre- 
posterous charges  against  the  characters  of  both,  based, 
in  the  beginning,  upon  alleged  "affidavits,''  said  to 
have  been  uttered  by  "eye-witnesses,"  "old  neigh- 
bors," and  others,  all  utterly  unknown  and  un- 
heard-of in  any  other  connection,  that  a  candid  and 
informed  mind  can  hardly  escape  forming  the  con- 
clusion that  there  is  exaggeration  somewhere,  and  the 
misdoings  with  which  '* Mormons"  may  be  justly 
charged  are  utterly  lost  to  sight.  Never  do  anti- 
Mormons  seem  to  have  discerned  the  fact  that,  in 
exaggerating  "Mormon"  faults  and  failings,  they 
have  largely  discredited  their  own  case  against  "Mor- 
monism."  Thus,  they  fail  quite  entirely  to  under- 
stand that,  in  heaping  reproaches  on  the  head  of  Mr. 
Smith,  they  are  arguing,  not  that  his  claim  to  having 
received  revelations  is  preposterous  and  impossible, 
but,  in  fact,  that  he  was  not  at  all  the  kind  of  person 
to  be  chosen  for  any  such  marks  of  divine  favor. 
They  fail,  also,  to  understand  that  the  sort  of  things 
charged  against  him  in  the  traditional  host  of  "affi- 
davits" by  no  means  warrants  the  wholesale  and  bitter 


10       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

condemnation  with  which  they  regard  him.  On  the 
other  hand,  could  ''scholars"  recover  sufficiently  from 
their  ''lively  impressions''  and  "just  disdain''  to  be 
really  scholarly,  it  is  undoubtedly  true,  that,  in  the 
history  of  Joseph  Smith  and  "Mormonism,"  they 
would  be  able  to  discern  nearly  the  most  interesting 
and  significant  episode  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 


CHAPTER  ONE 

MORMON  HISTORY  AS  TREATED  BY  THE 
ENEMIES  OP  MORMONISM 

Anti-Mormon  '  *  Testimonies ' '  Appraised. — ^When 
considering  the  alleged  ** affidavits''  of  supposed  **old 
neighbors''  of  Smith's  youth  and  early  manhood, 
which  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  ** evidence"  against 
him,  it  is  perfectly  admissable  to  call  attention  to  the 
evident  prejudice  which  they  manifest :  it  is  also  just 
to  insist  that  the  authors  were,  in  very  many  cases, 
closely  related  to  the  disorderly  elements  which  perpe- 
trated the  first  violence  against  Smith  and  his  fol- 
lowers in  the  region  around  Palmyra.  But,  above  all, 
as  an  unprejudiced  mind  must  discern,  the  element 
of  slanderous  rural  gossip  is  much  more  prominent 
than  any  other.  Thus,  the  accusations  brought 
against  the  young  man  are  of  the  kind  most  likely  to 
be  heard  in  small  communities,  when  attempts  are 
made  to  discredit  anyone's  reputation.  The  accusa- 
tions of  *  *  shif  tlessness, "  *  *  indolence, "  *  *  exaggera- 
tion," **vagabondish  character,"  and  the  like,  are  the 
very  line  of  accusations  common,  particularly  in  the 
mouths  of  village  dignitaries  and  of  other  persons  of 
no  importance  whatever,  who  desire  to  establish  their 
own  superiority.  They  can,  evidently,  be  nothing 
more  in  the  case  of  Smith,  for  the  very  excellent  rea- 
son that  they  furnish  not  the  slightest  clue  to  the 
ability  manifested  by  him  to  gain  the  allegiance  of 
his  followers,  and  to  hold  them  together  in  a  compact 
solidarity,  as  he  certainly  did.  These  stock  accusa- 
tions, which  are  dignified  into  ** evidence"  by  virtually 

11 


12        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

all  anti-Mormon  v/riters,  would  argue  merely  that 
Smith  must  have  been  quite  a  worthless  sort  of  person, 
although  quite  harmless,  even  somewhat  absurd. 
There  are  recorded  no  grave  charges  against  his  moral 
character,  or  against  that  of  his  family,  other  than 
such  things  as  may  be  charged  to  ignorance  and  lim- 
ited experience.  Curiously  enough,  also,  we  read  no 
allegations  to  the  effect  that  this  singularly  worthless 
young  man,  as  represented  by  his  enemies,  was  ever 
haled  before  a  court  of  even  rural  justice. 

Misfit  Misdemeanors. — Now,  considering  Smith's 
character  in  the  light  of  his  doings  in  later  life,  one 
would  expect,  logically  enough,  on  the  theory  of  his 
complete  duplicity  and  rascality,  to  read  reports  to 
the  effect  that  he  had  early  manifested  a  precocious 
ability  to  exploit  his  fellows  for  his  own  profit,  mak- 
ing them  work  for  his  benefit,  and  pocketing  the  pro- 
ceeds of  their  industry,  or  taking  possession  of  their 
property  and  successfully  evading  prosecution.  Such 
a  record  as  this  might  seem  to  demand  some  explana- 
tion, in  view  of  the  large  achievements  of  his  after- 
life, and  of  his  undoubted  ability  to  persuade  people 
of  the  truth  of  his  claims,  and  to  retain  their  alle- 
giance in  the  face  of  hardships  and  persecutions.  It 
is  the  evidence  of  conscienceless  plausibility  and  the 
talents  of  a  first-class  swindler  that  we  should  expect 
in  a  pure  '^impostor"  of  large  success,  rather  than 
the  gossiping  charges  about  '*  exaggeration, "  **shift- 
lessness,"  etc.,  which  are  so  confidently  proposed  for 
our  acceptance.  But  we  have  heard  no  such  charges 
as  these,  and  it  is  now  rather  late  in  the  day  to  un- 
earth them.  Even  the  ** peep-stone  performances,'' 
which,  as  we  learn,  *^he  practiced  at  intervals  from 
1820  to  1827,"  have  never  been  offered  as  evidence 
that  he  profited  largely  by  the  ** credulity"  of  his 
neighbors.  They  example  merely  one  of  the  primitive 
superstitions  common  in  rural  communities  even  to 
the  present  time,  being  closely  allied  to  the  supposed 
ability  of  some  persons  to  ** witch  for  water,"  or  locate 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  13 

well-springs  by  the  use  of  a  hazel  rod.  ^Whether 
such  ''clairvoyant"  and  well-witching  pretensions  be 
groundless,  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  the  claimed  or 
reputed  abilities  based  upon  them  involve  no  evidence 
of  capacity  to  engineer  wholesale  hoaxes.  At  worst, 
they  are  merely  the  extravagances  of  ill-informed 
minds.  The  awarding  of  such  excessive  significance 
to  accusations  of  this  order  is  about  as  reasonable  as 
to  assume  a  man  capable  of  house-breaking,  because 
he  uses  tobacco.  Both  acts  may  be  classed  as  sinful, 
but  it  requires  little  physical  courage  and  no  enter- 
prise whatever  to  commit  the  latter  error. 

The  **Case''  for  the  Prosecution. — In  order  to 
show  the  sort  of  wretched  nonsense  that  our  author 
considers,  in  this  connection  at  least,  **  conclusive  evi- 
dence," it  may  be  in  place  to  quote  him  briefly. 
Thus: 

"Pomeroy  Tucker,  who  was  well  acquainted  with  Joseph, 
his  family,  and  most  of  his  early  followers,  testifies  that  as 
a  youth  and  young  man  he  was  'noted  for  his  indolent  and 
vagabondish  character,  and  his  habits  of  exaggeration  and 
imtruthfulness.'  Daniel  Hendrix  writes  from  personal  knowl- 
edge of  Smith:  *He  was  a  good  talker,  and  would  have  made 
a  fine  stump-speaker  if  he  had  had  the  training.  He  was 
known  among  the  young  men  I  associated  with  as  a  romancer 
of  the  first  water.  I  never  knew  so  ignorant  a  man  as  Joe 
was  to  have  such  a  fertile  imagination.  He  never  could  tell 
a  common  occurrence  in  his  daily  life  without  embellishing 
the  story  with  his  imagination*  (quoted  from  Linn).  S.  S. 
Harding,  a  native  of  Palmyra,  makes  note  of  the  fact  that 
Smith  as  a  boy  had  such  a  reputation  for  exaggeration  that 
it  was  a  customary  comment  in  the  neighborhood  when  a 
specially  incredible  story  was  narrated,  *That  is  as  big  a 
lie  as  young  Joe  ever  told'  (quoted  from  T.  Gregg).  In 
1833  eleven  residents  of  Manchester  and  fifty-one  residents  of 
Palmyra  (the  two  neighboring  towns  in  which  the  Smith 
family  lived  during  their  stay  in  the  State  of  New  York) 
recorded  their  judgment  on  the  shiftless  and  untrustworthy 
character  of  the  Smith  family,  Joseph  included  (cited  from 
Howe ) . 

"Not  less  full  and  explicit  is  the  testimony  of  witnesses, 
having  personal  knowledge,  to  the  radical  bent  of  Joseph 
Smith  to  play  the  role  of  a  magical  occultism  in  search  for 
hidden   treasure.    The   fifty-one  residents   of   Palmyra  men- 


14        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

tioned  above  refer  to  the  lairge  amount  of  time  spent  in 
digging  for  money  imagined  to  have  been  concealed  in  the 
earth.  Pomeroy  Tucker  narrates  how  Joseph  claimed  by 
means  of  a  *peep-stone/  or  'seer-stone' — a  peculiar  stone  which 
was  discovered  in  1819  while  a  well  was  being  dug  on  the 
premises  of  Willard  Chase — to  be  able  to  point  out  the  loca- 
tion of  buried  treasure.  He  says  that  he  practiced  this  im- 
posture at  intervals  from  1820  to  1827.  .  .  . 

"Antecedents  of  this  kind  have  an  unmistakable  signifi- 
cance. Where  in  all  the  world  could  a  more  select  agent  be 
found  for  concocting  the  fiction  of  the  'Golden  Bible'  than 
the  yoimg  man  notorious  for  telling  fantastic  yarns  and  for 
claiming  to  be  able  with  his  magical  peep-stone  to  locate  hid- 
den treasures?  Who  can  fail  to  see  that  the  story  of  the 
finding  and  translation  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  was  squarely 
in  line  with  the  swollen  talk  and  peep-stone  performances  of 
this  latter-day  Joseph?  All  these  things  fall  into  one  con- 
tinuous series." 

The  ** Marks'*  of  Imposture. — Continuing  his  ef- 
fort to  demonstrate  the  complete  insincerity  and  im- 
posture of  Joseph  Smith  in  the  matter  of  the  reported 
finding  and  translation  of  the  *^Book  of  Mormon," 
Dr.  Sheldon  writes  as  follows:  **In  the  second  place 
the  different  stories  which  Smith  told  about  the  plates 
of  the  Book  of  Mormon  impeach  his  honesty  and 
veracity  in  the  matter."  He  then  wheels  up  his  heavy 
artillery  of  stray  statements  and  '* affidavits"  to  fur- 
ther destroy  this  hereditary  enemy  of  Methodism.  A 
certain  Sophia  Lewis  is  quoted  by  Howe  as  stating 
that  the  book  of  plates  '*  could  not  be  opened  under 
penalty  of  death  by  any  other  person  than  his 
[Smith's]  firstborn."  [We  have  heard  as  yet  of  no 
person  who  professed  to  have  *' opened"  this  book.] 
He  then  attempts  to  place  in  '* conflict"  the  statement 
of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  (v.  10-14)  that  ** three 
of  my  servants  .  .  .  shall  know  of  a  surety  that  these 
things  are  true,  for  from  heaven  will  I  declare  it  unto 
them,"  with  the  fact  that  there  are  also  '* eight  besides 
the  three"  who  **had  not  only  seen,  but  handled,  the 
plates."  [But  this  matter  will  be  discussed  later.] 
A  Rev.  Lewis  is  also  cited  on  the  authority  of  Howe, 
as  stating  *Hhat  at  a  certain  future  time,  when  the 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  15 

plates  would  be  placed  on  exhibition,  there  would  be 
a  chance  for  him  to  view  them. ' ' 

Wicked  or  only  Imbecile? — These  allegations  seem 
to  furnish  rather  meagre  evidence  for  a  complete  im- 
peachment of  Smith's  *' honesty  and  veracity  in  the 
matter,"  and  are  worthless  to  prove  anything,  unless 
used,  as  in  the  present  case,  without  examination  or 
analysis  of  conditions.  [It  might  be  asserted  that, 
even  if  Smith's  claims  were  true,  he,  being  human,  may 
have  been  liable  to  misunderstanding  of  some  such 
minor  conditions  as  these,  rather  than  ** dishonest" 
and  unveracious,  as  Sheldon  assumes.]  But,  as  we 
may  suppose,  the  object  of  proving  Smith  a  liar  and 
impostor  is  not  to  be  achieved,  unless  he  be  made  out  a 
fool  also.  Thus  we  are  favored  with  the  ** affidavit" 
of  a  certain  Peter  IngersoU,  alleged  to  have  been  ut- 
tered in  1833,  and  one  of  the  Howe  collection,  which 
alleges  as  follows: 

"He  [Smith]  made  me  his  confidant,  and  told  me  what 
daily  transpired  in  the  family  of  the  Smiths.  One  day  he 
came  and  greeted  me  with  a  joyful  countenance.  Upon  ask- 
ing the  cause  of  his  unusual  happiness,  he  replied  in  the 
following  language:  *As  I  was  passing  yesterday  across  the 
woods,  after  a  heavy  shower  of  rain,  I  found  in  a  hollow 
some  beautiful  white  sand  that  had  been  washed  up  by  the 
water.  I  took  off  my  frock  and  tied  up  several  quarts  of  it, 
and  then  went  home.  On  entering  the  house  I  found  the 
family  at  the  table  eating  dinner.  They  were  all  anxious  to 
know  the  contents  of  my  frock.  At  that  moment  I  happened 
to  think  about  a  history  found  in  Canada,  called  a  Golden 
Bible;  so  I  very  gravely  told  them  that  it  was  the  Golden 
Bible.  To  my  surprise,  they  were  credulous  enough  to  be- 
lieve what  I  said.  Accordingly,  I  told  them  that  I  had  re- 
ceived a  commandment  to  let  no  one  see  it,  "for,"  says  I, 
"No  man  can  see  it  with  his  natural  eye  and  live."  However, 
I  offered  to  take  out  the  book  and  show  it  to  them,  but  they 
refused  to  see  it  and  left  the  room.  Now,'  said  Joe,  *I  have 
got  the  d — d  fools  fixed,  and  will  carry  out  the  fun.'  Not- 
withstanding he  told  me  he  had  no  such  book  and  believed 
there  never  was  such  a  book,  he  told  me  he  actually  went  to 
Willard  Chase  to  get  him  to  make  a  chest  in  which  he  might 
deposit  the  Golden  Bible." 

According  to  Howe,  who  first  presented  this  ''afifi- 


16        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

davit"  to  the  attention  of  a  confiding  public,  Mr. 
Chase  testified  that  an  order  for  such  a  chest  had 
actually  been  left  with  him — it  was  not  filled,  how- 
ever, *' because  the  desired  guaranty  of  good  faith 
was  not  furnished" — and  several  of  Mr.  IngersoU's 
neighbors  gave  ''affidavits"  testifying  to  *'his  integ- 
rity and  reliability."  Upon  such  bases  as  these,  our 
author  concludes  that  Ingersoirs  ''affidavit"  is  "well 
adapted  to  carry  the  conviction  that  it  is  a  true  report 
of  the  inception  of  the  Golden  Bible  project,"  and 
remarks  that  "it  is  any  amount  more  credible  than 
all  the  stories  told  about  the  visitation  of  angels  or 
the  attempts  of  satanic  foes  to  wrest  away  the  newly 
discovered  treasure."  Precisely  why  these  latter  ex- 
periences are  any  less  "credible"  now  than  in  an- 
cient times  it  would  be  difficult  indeed  to  understand. 
If  there  is  any  truth  at  all  in  the  narrations  believed 
to  give  the  foundation  to  the  Christian  religion,  they 
are  not  incredible  at  all ;  the  sole  question  with  which 
the  consistent  and  logical  critic  could  be  concerned 
should  be  as  to  whether  these  things  actually  took 
place  in  the  case  of  Joseph  Smith  or  not.  This  re- 
mark is  one  of  the  cases  in  which  an  expression  proper 
only  to  skeptical  "rationalism"  sounds  very  ill  in  the 
mouth  of  a  professed  Christian. 

Yearning  for  Confidants. — According  to  IngersoU, 
the  occasion  of  Smith's  making  him  [IngersoU]  "his 
confidant"  was  a  reported  rebuke  administered  by 
Smith's  father-in-law,  Isaac  Hale,  who,  as  stated,  had 
admonished  him  "to  give  up  his  foolish  search  for 
money  by  means  of  the  peep-stone,"  although  he 
[Smith]  "felt  that  his  family  would  wish  to  push 
him  on  in  the  old  line."  Because  of  this  "dilemma," 
therefore,  in  which  he  confided  in  the  loquacious  In- 
gersoU, Smith  fakes  his  family — ^not  Mr.  Hale — and 
then  reports,  in  excellent  grammar,  his  satisfaction 

over  the  alleged  fact  that  he  had  ' '  got  the  d d  fools 

fixed,"  and  proceeds  to  "carry  out  the  fun"  by  asking 
a  certain  Chase — ^he  whose  well  had  yielded  the  orig- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  17 

inal  *' peep-stone" — to  make  a  chest  to  contain  the 
**book/'  which  had  no  existence.  Whether,  or  not, 
this  alleged  '* affidavit''  is^^'any  amount  more  credi- 
ble" than  some  other  narrations,  it  must  be  evident 
that  it  involves  nothing  other  than  that,  if  true, 
Smith  was  not  an  *' impostor"  at  all,  but  a  very  well 
developed  case  of  imbecile.  "Why  have  we  read  no 
** affidavits"  to  the  effect  that  Smith  was  the  *'town 
fool,"  and  that  *' every  one  knew  that  he  was  crazy"? 
Here  is  a  man  nearly  twenty-two  years  of  age,  old 
enough,  in  fact,  to  be  married,  who,  whatever  his 
vagaries,  had  supposedly  enough  common  sense  to 
behave  rationally.  Nevertheless,  on  finding  some 
** beautiful  white  sand"  in  the  woods,  he  ties  up  sev- 
eral quarts  of  it  in  his  frock,  and  takes  it  home.  Had 
he  found  a  curious  or  beautiful  stone,  or  even  a  few 
dozen  Indian  arrow  heads,  his  procedure  might  be 
intelligible;  otherwise,  it  is  merely  nonsensical.  Not 
only  is  Smith  represented  as  behaving  thus  in  im- 
becile fashion,  but  he  is  also  credited  with  a  most 
unnatural  disregard  for  his  family — speaking  of  them 

as  **d d  fools" — an  attitude  of  mind  of  which  his 

later  career  shows  no  trace.  Assuming  that  Ingersoll 
really  uttered  the  ** affidavit'*  attributed  to  him — and, 
as  we  shall  see  later,  there  are  good  reasons  for  not 
accepting  many  of  Howe's  ** affidavits"  at  their  face 
value — the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that  he  is  mingling 
some  anecdote  of  Smith's  childhood  with  some  events 
of  his  maturer  life.  The  same  remark  applies  also 
to  the  matter  of  the  ** peep-stone,"  supposed  to  have 
been  found  in  1819,  when  Smith  was  but  fourteen 
years  old.  The  fact  that,  as  represented.  Smith  actu- 
ally asked  Chase  to  make  a  chest  to  contain  the  *' non- 
existent book"  might  be  adduced  to  show  that  Inger- 
soll was  not  the  ** confidant"  he  supposed  himself  to 
be — was  laboring  under  several  serious  misapprehen- 
sions, in  fact — and  that,  if  Smith  had  got  anyone 
*' fixed"  in  the  matter,  that  one  was  Ingersoll  him- 
self.   It  might  be  asked  further  why  it  should  have 


18        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

happened  that  Smith  would  wish  to  '*fake^'  Chase  in 
the  matter,  while  giving  Ingersoll  his  full  confidence ; 
or  why  that  he  should  assume  such  a  preposterous 
attitude  toward  his  own  family,  who  always  supported 
him  in  his  claims,  and,  as  represented  here,  '*  would 
wish  to  push  him  on  in  the  old  line,"  while  ** giving 
the  whole  thing  away"  to  a  town  gossip. 

Things  '* Incredible"  and  Otherwise.— It  is  quite 
evident,  however,  that  things  called  **any  amount 
more  credible"  than  some  other  things  have  very 
often  been  the  things  that  people  so  speaking  have 
wished  to  believe.  Thus  it  is  that  we  find  very  many 
*' profound  theologians,"  who  have  gone  to  the  Word 
of  God,  not  to  find  out  what  it  really  teaches,  but  to 
force  out  confirmations — ^verbal  justifications — for 
their  own  preconceived  conclusions.  This  is  the  old 
process  of  ** twisting  texts  to  suit  the  sects,"  and  has 
been  conspicuous  in  the  history  of  theology.  How- 
ever, our  author  continues: 

"In  other  resppcts  also  his  [Smith's]  stories  failed  to  match. 
In  the  final  version  an  angel  served  as  the  custodian  of  the 
plates.  But  as  Hiel  and  Joseph  Lewis,  sons  of  N.  C.  Lewis, 
declare.  Smith  reported  to  their  father  that  the  figure  which 
confronted  him  when  he  attempted  to  get  the  plates  was  that 
of  *a  Spaniard  having  a  long  beard  down  over  his  breast,  with 
his  throat  cut  from  ear  to  ear  and  the  blood  streaming 
down.' " 

What  our  author  neglects  to  state  is  that  these 
**sons  of  N.  C.  Lewis" — seems  as  though  we  ought  to 
know  who  he  was — ^uttered  their  allegations  in  1879, 
fifty-two  years  after  the  date  of  the  alleged  event,  and 
that  no  one  had  ever  heard  the  story  before.  For 
fifty-two  years  the  story  of  angelic  visitations  had 
been  accepted — and  rejected — but  now  another  pro- 
fessed confidant  of  Smith's  comes  forward  in  the 
persons  of  his  sons  to  give  the  *^ correct  and  original" 
version.  Although,  in  another  connection,  Dr.  Shel- 
don insists  that  *'the  plea  that  the  late  date  of  [a 
certain]  testimony  is  ground  for  challenging  its  truth- 
fulness is  far  from  disposing  of  the  sworn  statement" 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  19 

— no  anti-Mormon  deponent  could  possibly  commit 
perjury,  make  erroneous  statements,  even  inadvert- 
ently, or  be  misquoted,  we  may  suppose — we  have  here 
another  statement  '*born  out  of  due  time"  that  is 
not  even  sworn  to.  [It  was  in  a  letter  to  a  certain  J. 
T.  Cobb  of  Salt  Lake  City.]  It  is  fairly  to  be  chal- 
lenged by  the  words  of  a  *' Mormon"  writer,  N.  L. 
Nelson,  as  follows : 

"Mr.  Linn  (who  first  introduced  it  to  the  public)  actually 
credits  this  story,  as  will  be  indicated  by  the  following  com- 
ment: 

"  *We  may  now  contrast  these  early  accounts  of  the  dis- 
closure with  the  version  given  in  the  Prophet's  autobiography 
(written,  be  it  remembered,  in  Nauvoo  in  1838),  the  one  ac- 
cepted by  all  orthodox  Mormons.  One  of  its  striking  fea- 
tures will  be  found  to  be  the  transformation  of  the  Spaniaxd- 
with-his-throat-cut  into  a  messenger  from  heaven.' 

"That  is  to  say,  Mr.  Linn  would  have  the  reader  believe 
that  not  imtil  Sidney  Ridgon  came  into  the  Church  to  shape 
and  imify  its  teachings,  did  the  story  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon take  its  present  form.  It  is  in  such  suggestions  that 
Linn  shows  the  weakness  of  pure  malevolence.  Could  the 
Prophet's  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters  and  the  Whitmers 
have  been  made  to  give  up  Presbyterianism  and  join  the  new 
Church,  with  such  a  tale?  There  were  at  least  ninety  souls 
baptized  before  Sidney  Rigdon  came  into  the  Church.  Were 
these  converted  by  a  *bloody  ghost'  story?  The  simple  fact 
is  that  from  the  date  of  his  first  vision  in  1820,  and  con- 
tinuously thereafter,  the  Prophet  told  one  consistent,  undevi- 
ating  story — a  fact  which  contemporaneous  records  abimdantly 
prove.  Under  no  other  circumstances  could  he  have  made 
converts  of  people  intimately  acquainted  with  all  the  facts 
of  his  life."— TTie  Mormon  Point  of  View,  pp.  187-188. 

Prophets,  Pirates  and  Presbyterians. — ^Apart  from 
the  essential  absurdity  of  accepting  so  radical  a  vari- 
ation of  a  traditional  episode — one  also  utterly  incon- 
sistent with  the  rest  of  the  narration  (a  ghostly  Span- 
ish pirate  guarding  a  buried  divine  revelation!) — on 
the  authority  of  a  single  unknown,  and  unsupported 
individual,  it  is  in  place  to  object  that  had  such  a 
story  as  he  tells  been  the  *'true,  original  version''  in 
any  sense,  it  is  surprising  that  Howe  and  Tucker,  with 
the  cheerful  assistance  of  so  many  persons  **who  knew 


20        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

Smith  intimately,"  never'  mentioned  it.  This  is  a 
fine  line  of  ** evidence"  indeed  for  use  in  a  deter- 
mined attempt  to  force  a  case  against  a  man  whose 
initial  offense  seems  to  have  lain  in  his  statement,  to 
his  own  mother,  *^I  have  found  out  for  myself  that 
Presbyterianism  is  not  true."  Why  must  one  stoop 
thus  to  the  imbecilities  of  malicious  rural  gossip,  in 
order  to  discredit  a  ''false  prophet"?  Smith  may 
have  told  one  or  two  absurd  stories,  merely  to  protect 
himself  from  the  IngersoUs,  Lewises,  et  al.y  whose 
curiosity  as  to  his  doings  might  thus  be  satisfied,  and 
silenced.     Such  reports  need  mean  nothing  worse. 

Extenuating  Circumstances. — ^As  a  further  demon- 
stration of  the  downright  unfairness  of  the  average, 
and  typical,  anti-Mormon  line  of  argument,  it  must 
be  objected  that,  had  Smith  chosen,  or  been  forced 
into,  another  line  of  activity  than  the  one  in  which 
he  gained  his  fame  and  won  the  enmity  of  so  many 
''gifted  writers";  had  he,  for  example,  become  a 
poet  or  a  writer  of  fiction,  the  ill-natured  "recollec- 
tions" of  his  "old  neighbors"  and  discarded  "con- 
fidants" would  have  been  interpreted  to  indicate  that 
he  had  been  a  "dreamy  and  introspective  youth," 
rather  than  one  of  "vagabondish  character,"  and  in 
the  other  doings  mentioned  one  would  have  been  ac- 
customed to  see  the  "expressions  of  a  vivid  and  strong 
imagination."  [Something  of  this  sort  was  done  in 
the  case  of  Lord  Byron,  for  example.]  The  two 
cases,  the  real  and  the  possible,  match,  however,  in  the 
particular  that  both  have  to  do  principally,  if  not  en- 
tirely, with  the  doings  of  the  man's  childhood.  In 
fact,  in  most  of  the  aggravated  examples  of  "impos- 
ture" mentioned  by  anti-Mormon  writers,  the  public 
is  asked  to  condemn  the  vagaries  of  a  child,  on  the 
doubtful  authority  of  a  gang  of  "affidaviting"  yokels 
oppressed  with  vague  memories  of  a  troublesome  boy. 

"Scholarship"  Versus  Mormonism. — The  iron-shod 
Juggernaut  of  anti-Mormon  condemnation  does  not 
stop  at  this  point,  however.     Our  author  proceeds  to 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  21 

question  the  traditional  account  of  the  **coming- 
forth''  and  ^'translation''  of  the  ''Book  of  Mormon," 
on  the  ground  that  it  was  only  one  of  Smith's  numer- 
ous attempts  at  "imposture."    Thus  he  says: 

"The  ample  list  of  demonstrations  given  by  Joseph  Smith 
of  his  capability  of  downright  faking  are  destructive  of  faith 
in  the  supposition  that  he  either  possessed  or  translated  any 
antique  documents.  At  the  head  stands  the  demonstration 
which  he  incautiously  gave  in  connection  with  the  Book  of 
Mormon." 

Here  he  refers  to  the  "transcript"  of  characters 
from  the  plates,  given  to  his  friend,  Martin  Harris, 
and  by  him  shown  to  Professor  Charles  Anthon  of 
New  York.  This  is  a  famous  episode,  and  is  always 
represented  as  "scholarship's  first  formal  condemna- 
tion of  Mormon  claims."  Anthon 's  letters  on  Har- 
ris's visit  have  done  yeoman  service  in  "keeping  his 
memory  green,"  more  effectually,  perhaps,  than  even 
his  own  excellent  text-books  on  the  classics,  which  have 
been  largely  supplanted  by  the  works  of  later  redac- 
tors. In  one  of  his  letters,  as  quoted  by  Sheldon,  Dr. 
Anthon  describes  the  "transcript"  shown  him  by 
Harris  in  the  following  words : 

''It  consisted  of  all  kinds  of  crooked  characters,  disposed 
in  columns,  and  had  evidently  been  prepared  by  some  per- 
son who  had  before  him  at  the  time  a  book  containing  vari- 
ous alphabets.  Greek  and  Hebrew  letters,  crosses  and  flour- 
ishes, Roman  letters  inverted,  or  placed  sideways,  were 
arranged  in  columns.  ...  I  am  thus  particular  as  to  the 
contents  of  the  paper,  .  .  .  and  well  remember  that  the  paper 
contained  anything  else  but  Egyptian  hieroglyphics." 

Speaks  for  Itself. — Our  author  makes  no  further 
comment  on  this  quotation,  evidently  considering  that 
it  ** speaks  for  itself."  He  seems  to  be  unaware, 
however,  that,  while  the  paper  shown  to  Anthon  has 
not  been  preserved  for  us,  there  exists  another  alleged 
** transcript,"  now  in  the  possession  of  Joseph  Smith's 
grandson,  Frederick  M.  Smith  of  Independence,  Mo., 
which  might  seem  to  put  another  construction  on  the 
matter.  Like  the  paper  mentioned,  it  consists  of  **all 
kinds  of  crooked  characters,"  several  of  them  sug- 


22        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 


©•«  >Hrr  o  q-r  A-?  a  5^  OB  S-i^-     &« 

a 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  23 

gesting  Greek,  Hebrew  and  Roman  letters,  variously- 
disposed.  Allowing,  however,  for  the  evident  un- 
skillfulness  of  the  writer  as  a  penman — and  this  fact 
might  be  urged  to  indicate  that  he  had  copied  many 
of  the  characters  poorly,  and  inaccurately,  distorting 
some  of  them  in  fact — ^the  entire  screed  closely  re- 
sembles a  manuscript  in  some  ancient  form  of  Egyp- 
tian Hieratic.  [This  latter  text,  in  a  general  sense, 
held  about  the  same  relation  to  Hieroglyphic  as  hand- 
written script  holds  to  square  printed  type;  being  a 
''cursive  form,''  in  fact,  hence  diverging  from  Hiero- 
glyphic in  very  many  particulars.]  Thus,  it  is  pos- 
sible to  find  several  striking  resemblances  to  common 
Hieratic  characters  in  this  paper,  and  close  study  has 


--1  -t  :>C^  */n 

IT    K     ^    ^ 

Selected  specimens  of  phonetic  characters  found  in  Egyptian 
Hieratic  manuscripts,  as  given  by  ChampoUion  and  other  authorities. 
It  is  noteworthy  that  the  same  sound  may  be  represented  by  a 
number  of  different  characters;  also  that  there  are,  in  addition, 
very  many  characters  used  as  "ideograms,"  "determinants,"  etc.; 
and  that  all  characters  are  written  together  in  convenient  combina- 
tions, rather  thai>  on  single  lines.  Suggestions  of  many  of  these 
characters  may  be  found  in  the  alleged  "transcript"  shown  on  thtt 
opposite  page. 

revealed  several  others  with  the  same  possible  descrip- 
tion. One  curious  fact  about  this  writing  is  that, 
although,  evidently  copied  by  the  penman  beginning 
at  the  left  hand  upper  comer,  as  in  modern  Euro- 
pean languages,  it  seems  to  represent,  or  to  be  in- 
tended to  represent,  a  text  reading  from  right  to  left, 
as  did  Egyptian  texts  of  all  varieties,  as  well  as  the 
writing  of  most  Semitic  languages.  This  conclusion 
might  be  formed  by  noting  the  fact  that  three  square 
figures,  closely  suggesting  stops  of  some  kind,  as  be- 
tween sentences  or  sections,  are  to  be  seen  in  the  writ- 
ing, the  third  of  them  being  at  the  extreme  left  hand 


24       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

end  of  the  seventh,  or  last,  line.  If  a  ^^fake,"  pure 
and  simple,  it  is  certainly  an  extremely  clever  one, 
somewhat  more  carefully  concocted  than  one  might 
expect  from  **so  ignorant  a  man  as  Joe." 

The  Lapses  of  Dr.  Anthon. — ^Dr.  Sheldon  then  adds 
the  following  footnote,  which  is  worthy  quotation  for 
several  reasons,  as  will  appear  later.     He  says: 

*'A  letter  of  Anthon  seven  years  later  refers  to  this  visit, 
and  also  gives  account  of  a  second  visit.  Mormon  apologists 
are  able  to  point  out  some  discrepancies  between  the  two 
letters.  But  they  are  such  as  might  result  from  a  memory 
not  supported  by  records  at  hand,  and  on  the  main  poini^ 
the  character  of  the  pretended  excerpt  from  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon— the  two  letters  show  complete  agreement." 

As  already  seen,  this  **main  point"  is  quite  beside 
the  mark.  Our  author  does  not  take  the  trouble  to 
specify  that  the  two  letters  disagree  in  an  essential 
point  of  fact;  the  second  stating  that  Anthon  had 
given  Harris  a  written  opinion  of  the  matter,  the  first 
denying  this.  This  is,  to  be  sure,  a  minor  point  in  the 
argument,  but  it  evidences  the  liability  to  forget  de- 
tails in  the  lapse  of  years,  a  failing  shared  by  both 
ignorant  and  learned.  In  this  manner,  as  Dr.  Shel- 
don agrees  in  this  particular  connection,  it  is  evident 
that  a  statement  on  essential  facts  made  years  after  a 
given  occurrence,  does  not  always  have  the  force  of 
one  made  upon  a  comparatively  recent  event.  Most 
of  the  strongest  and  oftenest-quoted  arguments  of 
Anti-Mormon  writers  are  based  upon  statements  made 
many  years  after  the  events  described;  among  them 
the  remarkable  *^ first  version"  given  by  the  Lewis 
brothers,  as  quoted  above.  If  writers  like  Sheldon 
can  excuse  the  lapses  of  Anthon  on  the  grounds  just 
given,  it  may  be  that,  in  using  the  *  testimonies"  of 
other  ^'deponents"  to  establish  the  long-past  events, 
which  they  profess  to  describe  **  accurately "  and 
'* minutely,"  as  though  Anthon  were  the  only  man 
subject  to  forget  fulness,  they  may  find  themselves 
*' hoist  with  their  own  petard." 

Imposture  upon  Imposture. — Sheldon  then  pro- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  25 

ceeds  to  massacre  the  reputation  of  the  ''Mormon" 
Prophet  by  alleging  other  subsidiary  examples  of  **  im- 
posture. ' '     He  writes  thus : 

"That  Smith's  claim  to  have  an  antique  book  written  in 
Reformed  Egyptian  was  a  capital  instance  of  faking  is  further 
placed  beyond  reasonable  doubt  by  subsequent  instances  of 
a  like  unscrupulous  procedure  on  his  part." 

He  then  proceeds  to  catalogue  the  professed  trans- 
lation of  an  Egyptian  papyrus,  found  with  a  mummy 
purchased  by  Smith  in  1835 ;  his  alleged  misinterpre- 
tation of  the  nature  of  a  Greek  psalter  in  1842;  his 
alleged  mistranslation  of  certain  brass  plates  found 
at  Kinderhook,  111.,  in  1843,  and  subsequently  alleged 
to  have  been  ** faked''  by  a  certain  Fulgate;  and, 
finally  his  ** double  outrage  against  the  text"  of  Scrip- 
ture, in  the  production  of  the  so-called  **  Inspired 
Translation."  It  might  be  urged  with  some  show  of 
cogency  that,  in  the  four  instances  mentioned  above, 
or  in  the  first  three  of  them.  Smith  had  an  actual 
writing  in  an  unfamiliar  text  to  interpret,  while,  in , 
the  case  of  the  **Book  of  Mormon,"  as  Sheldon  insists, 
he  had  no  such  document  to  work  upon.  Sheldon 
evidently  denies  the  truth  of  the  account  of  the  plates, 
and  even  doubts  that  there  were  any  plates  whatever. 
For,  as  he  remarks  in  connection  with  discussing  the 
** Eight  Witnesses": 

"Supposing  plates  to  have  been  actually  seen  and  handled, 
the  only  rational  conclusion  would  be  that  they  were  de- 
vised for  the  occasion;  and  for  witnesses  drawn  from  the 
Smith  and  Whitmer  families  we  can  be  assured  that  a  very 
cliunsy  device  would  have  answered  the  purpose.  It  would 
not  have  needed  anything  so  well  executed  as  the  Kinderhook 
plates  referred  to  above." 

If  the  supposed  ** clumsy  device"  were  in  any  sense 
as  good  as  the  ** transcript"  previously  discussed,  it 
might  be  asserted  that  others,  beside  members  of  the 
families  named,  might  have  been  *' deceived." 

What  Is  a  Prophet? — In  considering  these  four 
later  examples  as  evidence  of  consistent  ** imposture" 
on  the  part  of  Smith,  it  is  only  fair  to  urge  as  answer 


26        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

that,  in  the  case  of  the  *'Bo6k  of  Mormon,"  he  pro- 
fessed to  have  made  the  translation  ''through  the  gift 
and  power  of  God,"  or,  as  he  states,  '*by  means  of  the 
TJrim  and  Thummim,"  while  no  such  claim  is  made 
in  the  case  of  any  of  his  other  professed  '^  transla- 
tions." In  other  words,  he  was  acting  in  the  first  in- 
stance, according  to  accounts,  in  the  capacity  of 
prophet  and  direct  instrument  in  the  hands  of  God; 
while  in  others,  as  in  the  'translation"  of  the  ''Book 
of  Abraham"  from  the  Egyptian  papyrus,  we  are 
free  to  suppose  that  he  was  exercising  such  human 
judgment  as  he  may  have  believed  warranted  in  the 
premises.  In  order  to  point  his  distinction,  it  may  be 
in  place  to  quote  him  on  his  estimate  of  the  prophetic 
ofSce  and  function.    He  states  in  his  journal : 

"According  to  John,  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  thie  spirit 
of  prophecy;  therefore,  if  I  profess  to  be  a  witness  or  teacher, 
and  have  not  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  which  is  the  testimony 
of  Jesus,  I  must  be  a  false  witness;  but  if  I  be  a  true  teacher 
and  witness,  I  must  possess  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  that 
constitutes  a  prophet;  and  any  man  who  says  he  is  a  teacher 
or  preacher  of  righteousness,  and  denies  the  spirit  of  prophecy, 
is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him;  and  by  this  key  false 
teachers  and  impostors  may  be  detected." — History  of  the 
Church,  Vol,  V.  p.  215. 

Again : 

"I  was  this  morning  introduced  to  a  man  from  the  East. 
After  hearing  my  name,  he  remarked  that  I  was  nothing  but 
a  man,  indicating  by  this  expression,  that  he  had  supposed 
that  a  person  to  whom  the  Lord  should  see  fit  to  reveal  His 
will,  must  be  something  more  than  a  man.  .  .  .  Indeed,  such 
is  the  darkness  and  ignorance  of  this  generation,  that  they 
look  upon  it  as  incredible  that  a  man  should  have  any  inter- 
course with  his  Maker."— 76id  Vol.  II,  p.  302. 

Quite  as  important  in  the  present  connection  is  the 
following : 

"This  morning,  I  read  German,  and  visited  with  a  brother 
and  sister  from  Michigan,  who  thought  that  *a  prophet  is  al- 
ways a  prophet';  but  I  told  them  that  a  prophet  was  a 
prophet  only  when  he  was  acting  as  such." — Ihid.  Vol.  V. 
p.  265. 

Prophets  in  Error. — ^As  may  be  understood,  the 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  27 

above  passages  indicate  that,  according  to  Smith's 
teaching,  the  prophetic  office  consists  in  the  use  of  a 
man  as  the  direct  agent  and  mouthpiece  of  God,  at 
given  times  and  for  given  purposes.  That  at  other 
times  he  is  not  a  *' prophet,"  as  above  stated,  may  in- 
volve that  he  may  even  fall  into  numerous  errors, 
both  of  speech  and  conduct,  precisely  as  did  Moses, 
even  in  the  capacity  of  prophet,  at  the  **  waters  of 
Meribah-Kadesh''  (Numbers  xx,  11-13;  xxvii,  14), 
and  be  punished  therefor  (Deuteronomy  xxxii,  51). 
In  the  professed  exercise  of  the  prophetic  function  in 
the  ''translation''  of  the  ''Book  of  Mormon,"  the  rep- 
resentation is,  not  that  he  was  endowed  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  Egyptian,  but  that  the  **gift  and  power  of 
God"  acted  on  his  mind  to  impart  the  meaning  of  the 
"crooked  characters,  disposed  in  columns." 

Did  Smith  Read  Egyptian. — ^As  may  be  seen,  the 
story  told  about  the  "translation"  of  the  "Book  of 
Mormon"  is  perfectly  consistent.  Whether  it  be  true, 
or  not,  is  another  matter,  one,  also,  which  may  not  be 
determined,  perhaps,  by  argument.  If,  as  repre- 
sented, the  work  was  done  by  divine  command,  and 
completed  by  the  "gift  and  power  of  God,"  it  stands 
in  a  different  class  from  other  professed  translations 
produced  by  Joseph  Smith.  In  the  case  of  the  "Book 
of  Abraham,"  professedly  translated  from  an  Egyp- 
tian papyrus,  he  distinctly  specifies  that  the  work 
was  done  as  the  result  of  his  studies  in  Egyptian — 
and  we  know  that  he  was  a  student  of  Hebrew,  Ger- 
man and  law,  also  of  some  other  matters,  perhaps  of 
Egyptian.  As  to  the  matter  of  the  professed  transla- 
tion, we  can  say  nothing,  of  course,  since  the  papyrus 
originally  in  Smith's  possession  has  been  lost.  That 
he  had  such  a  papyrus  seems  evident,  however,  from 
the  fact  that  three  drawings  of  Egyptian  style  are 
printed  with,  and  believed  to  illustrate  the  text.  One 
of  these  is  a  hypocephalus ;  the  other  two  are  of  un- 
certain significance.  Smith  professed  to  caption 
them  all,  and  on  the  issue  of  his  captions  alone  is  the 


28        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

charge  of  ''imposture,"  in  this  connection  based.  As 
Sheldon  points  out,  the  captions  on  these  plates  have 
been  attacked  by  sundry  authorities,  including  Deve- 
ria,  the  French  Egyptologist,,  Budge  and  Woodward 
of  London,  and  a  number  of  Egyptologists  and  non- 
Egyptologists,  whose  opinions  were  presented  in 
pamphlet  form  by  the  late  Bishop  F.  S.  Spaulding  of 
Utah  in  1912.  These  gentlemen  asserted,  to  be  sure, 
as  our  author  states,  that  *'the  facsimiles  were  speci- 
mens of  characters  commonly  found  in  Egj^ptian 
tombs,  and  that  the  interpretation  by  Joseph  Smith 
.  was  utterly  aside  from  their  meaning/'  He  does  not 
inform  us,  however,  that  their  identifications  of  the 
plates  did  not  agree,  showing  that  there  was  a  wide 
range  of  uncertainty  as  to  their  real  reference,  and 
that,  particularly  in  the  case  of  the  hypocephalus  fig- 
ure, there  are  strong  reasons  for  believing  that  the 
man  who  wrote  the  captions  ascribed  to  Joseph  Smith 
had  a  working  knowledge  of  Egyptian.  This  matter 
is  fully  discussed  in  the  Improvement  Era  (Salt  Lake 
^  City)  for  February,  1914;  and  until  the  allegations 
made  are  fully  refuted,  the  charge  of  ''imposture'' 
in  this  connection,  at  least,  is  purely  gratuitous.  In 
this  case,  the  question  is  one  of  pure  Egyptological 
and  Semitic  scholarship — ^to  determine  the  question, 
whether  or  no  Smith  knew  Egyptian,  or  had  authori- 
ties for  any  of  his  statements. 
An  Ungrammatical  "Imposture.'* — Having  com- 
k^mitted  this  "error  of  omission,"  Dr.  Sheldon  pro- 
V*^  ceeds  with  his  indictments.  "Another  instance  of 
fc^^      fraudulent  pretense,"  he  writes,  "quite  as  glaring  as 


7^ 


*n  that  just  mentioned,  is  reported  by  the  Rev.  Henry 
M     4L*^  Caswall."     To  hurry  over  a  trivial  and  gossiping  bit 
^^^>^  *^    of  insignificance,  we  may  state  that  this  Caswall  pre- 
^^        sented  a  book,  alleged  to  have  been  a  ' '  Greek  Psalter, ' ' 
^        to  Joseph  Smith,  and  asked  him  what  it  was.     Smith 
asked  him  what  he  supposed  it  to  be,  and  was  an- 
swered that  Caswall  thought  it  a  Greek  book.    Ac- 
cording to  report,  the  answer  was: 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  29 

"No,  it  ain't  Greek  at  all,  except  perhaps  a  few  words. 
What  ain't  Greek  is  Egyptian;  and  what  ain't  Egyptian  is 
Greek.  This  book  is  very  valuable.  It  is  a  dictionary  of 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics.  Them  figures  [capital  letters  at  the 
head  of  each  section]  is  Egyptian  hieroglyphics;  and  them 
which  follow  is  the  interpretation  of  the  hieroglyphics  written 
in  Reformed  Egyptian.  Them  characters  is  like  th^  letters 
which  was  engraved  on  the  golden  plates." 

**A  Phenomenon  to  Be  Explained." — ^Whoever  this 
man  Caswall  may  have  been,  he  was  evidently  far 
more  interested  in  telling  a  good  story  than  in  arriv- 
ing at  a  fair  estimate  of  the  man  about  whom  he  later 
wrote  a  book.  He  exaggerates  Smith's  tendency  to 
use  poor  grammar — and  this  discredits  somewhat  his 
accuracy  in  other  particulars — which  is  not  so  pro- 
nounced in  Smith's  later  writings  and  discourses,  and 
was  entirely  unnoticed  by  Josiah  Quincy,  son  of  the 
President  of  Harvard  College  and  sometime  Mayor 
of  Boston,  who  visited  Nauvoo  in  1844.  Quincy,  al- 
though undoubtedly  the  better  scholar  of  the  two,  ar- 
rives at  far  different  conclusions,  writing  of  Smith 
some  years  later: 

'It  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  some  future  text-book, 
for  the  use  of  generations  yet  imborn,  will  contain  a  ques- 
tion something  like  this:  What  historical  American  of  the 
nineteenth  century  has  exerted  the  most  powerful  influence 
upon  the  destinies  of  his  countrymen?  And  it  is  by  no 
means  impossible  that  the  answer  to  that  interrogatory  may 
be  thus  written:  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon  Prophet.  And 
the  reply,  absurd  as  it  doubtless  seems  to  most  men  now 
living,  may  be  an  obvious  commonplace  to  their  descend- 
ants. History  deals  in  surprises  and  paradoxes  quite  as 
startling  as  this.  The  man  who  established  a  religion  in  this 
age  of  free  debate,  who  was  and  is  to-day  accepted  by  h\m- 
dreds  of  thousands  as  a  direct  emissary  from  the  Most  High 
— such  a  rare  human  being  is  not  to  be  disposed  of  by  pelt- 
ing his  memory  with  unsavory  epithets.  Fanatic,  impostor, 
charlatan,  he  may  have  been;  but  these  hard  names  furnish 
no  solution  to  the  problem  he  presents  to  us.  Fanatics  and 
impostors  are  living  and  dying  every  day,  and  their  memory 
is  buried  with  them;  but  the  wonderful  influence  which  this 
foimder  of  a  religion  exerted  and  still  exerts  throws  him 
into  relief  before  us,  and  not  as  a  rogue  to  be  criminated, 
but  as  a  phenomenon  to  be  explained.     The  most  vital  ques- 


30        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 


\ 


MJipniiniiniiii/m 


Another  of  Joseph  Smith's  Alleged  "Frauds,"  which  "Scholarship"  has 
not   proved    against   his   allegations. 

Smith  claimed  that  this  picture  represents  the  attempted  "sacrifice 
of  Abraham"  by  an  idolatrous  priest  of  the  "Chaldees,"  thus  giving 
8  variation  of  the  story  told  of  such  incident  in  the  Talmud,  and  in 
other  ancient  Semitic  writings.  Sundry  Egyptologists  and  sectarians 
have  attacked,  this  description,  and  have  attempted  to  "identify"  it.  The 
results  of  their  efforts  are  as  follows: 

"An  embalming,"  the  reclining  figure  being  the  unembalmed  corpse 
and  the  standing  figure,  an  "embalmer,"  a  "priest,"  or  the  god 
"Anubis" ;  the  flying  bird  bein^  called  "Isis,"  the  "Hawk  of  Horus," 
or  the  man's  "soul."  So  identifying  are  Dr.  Flinders-Petrie  of  Oxford, 
Dr.  F.  von  Bissing  of  Munich,  Dr.  Edward  Meyer  of  Berlin,  Dr.  Henry 
Woodward  of  London.  [It  is  noteworthy,  however,  that  Anubis  is  al- 
ways represented  with  the  head  of  a  jackal,  and  that  the  soul-bird 
always  has  a  human  head.] 

"The  Resurrection  of  Osiris,**  the  reclining  figure  representing  the  god 
Osiris  coming  to  life  at  the  command  of  Anubis;  the  flying  bird  rep- 
resenting Isis,  wife  of  Osiris,  who  had  taken  the  form  of  a  hawk.  So 
identified  by  Theodule  Deveria,  the  French  Egyptologist,  writing  in 
1869,  and  by  Dr.  James  H.  Breasted  of  Chicago,  writing  in  1912.  [It 
is  noteworthy  that,  as  Deveria  distinctly  states,  this  resurrection  scene 
is  not  familiar  in  funereal  papyri  found  with  mummies.] 
(Oaption  continued  on  page  31) 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  31 

tions  Americans  are  asking  each  other  to-day  have  to  do  with 
this  man  and  what  he  has  left  us.  A  generation  other  than 
mine  must  deal  with  these  questions.  Burning  questions  they 
are,  which  must  give  a  prominent  place  in  the  history  of  the 
country  to  that  sturdy  self-asserter  whom  I  visited  at 
Nauvoo." — Figures  of  the  Past,  p.  376. 

** Verdicts''  of  "Scholarship." — Quincy  does  not 
even  remark  that  Smith  used  a  double  negative,  but 
his  estimate,  being  that  of  a  scholar  and  man  of 
affairs,  is  all  the  more  valuable.  It  is  immeasurably 
removed  from  CaswalFs  trivial  condemnations,  and, 
as  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  is  a  more  correct  estimate 
of  the  man  in  question.  Quincy  speaks  highly  of 
Smith's  abilities  as  an  executive  and  as  a  thinker  on 
the  great  public  questions  of  the  day,  particularly 
that  of  slavery.  He  does  not  stoop  to  record  on  the 
** say-so"  of  some  vile  gossiping  slanderer,  whom 
Sheldon  also  considers  worthy  of  notice,  any  **four 
instances,  as  reported  to  him,  with  specifications  of 
place  and  circumstances,  in  which  the  Mormon  leader 
was  plainly  intoxicated"  (page  134).  What  inflames 
Caswall  and  Sheldon,  however,  is  the  fact  that  Smith, 
knowing  no  Greek,  as  we  may  assume,  states  that  a 
Greek  Psalter  is  written  in  Reformed  Egyptian,  al- 
though even  Dr.  Anthon  noted  the  resemblances. 
That  marks  him  as  an  ** impostor"  of  course;  but 
when  among  the  ten  learned  men  cited  in  the  Spauld- 
ing  controversy  over  the  plates  of  the  **Book  of  Abra- 
ham," as  mentioned  above,  five  call  a  certain  picture 

*'Anubis  guarding  the  embalmed  mummy,"  a  scene  very  familiar  in  the 
Book  of  the  Dead.  So  identifying  are  Dr.  E.  A.  Wallis  Budge  of  the 
British  Museum,  writing  in  1903,  and  Dr.  Albert  M.  Lythgoe  of  New 
York  City.  Dr.  Budge  suggests  that  the  scene  has  been  altered,  and 
Dr.  Lythgoe  states  that  the  knife  has  been  added  in  the  "god's"  hand. 
[It  is  noteworthy  that  in  no  known  representation  of  an  embalmed 
mummy  are  the  limbs  shown  in  the  agitated  positions  seen,  in  this  draw- 
ing.] 

If  any  of  these  Egyptologists  is  right,  therefore,  this  drawing  must 
have  been  radically  altered  in  several  essential  particulars.  In  view  of 
their  disagreements,  it  will  be  necessary  to  demonstrate  any  conclusions 
drawn.  Will  some  learned  person  be  pleased  to  tell  us  what  this  scene 
represents  !  OtherwisCj  how  can  we  condemn  Joseph  Smith  for  "fraud," 
because  he  disagrees  with  scholars  who  disagree  among  themselves?  If 
they  know  not  what  it  is,  did  he  "conceal  the  truth"  with  intent  to 
deceive  ?  He  either  knew,  or  thought  that  he  knew.  Precisely  the  same 
must  be  said  of  all  his  learned  critics. 


32       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

an  '* embalming";  three,  a  '* resurrection  of  Osiris/' 
and  two,  a  ''mummy  guarded  by  Anubis'' — ^these 
three  religious  subjects  are  as  utterly  different  as  a 
''Nativity"  and  a  "Crucifixion" — ^there  is  no  thought 
of  "fraudulent  pretense,"  although,  as  is  evident, 
some  of  these  "scholars"  at  least,  are  exceeding  their 
knowledge  and  making  bald  guesses.  In  any  event, 
as  his  adherents  would  insist  with  perfect  reason, 
Smith  the  Prophet  and  Smith  the  man  differ  in  point 
of  authority  and  liability  to  common  errors.  It  is 
not,  however,  as  a  translator,  or  even  as  a  judge  of 
antique  Psalters,  or  as  an  answerer  of  disingenuous 
questioners,  that  Joseph  Smith  deserves  the  greatest 
regard.  His  significance  is  quite  other  than  any  of 
these. 

Was  It  a  Hoax? — Following  up  his  destructive 
march,  Dr.  Sheldon  next  animadverts  upon  the  re- 
ported "translation"  offered  by  Joseph  Smith  on  cer- 
tain brass  plates,  bearing  inscriptions  in  some  unfa- 
miliar character,  said  to  have  been  found  in  a  mound 
at  Kinderhook,  111.,  in  1843.  These  plates,  having  a 
peculiar  shape,  and  strung  together  apparently 
through  an  eye-hole  at  the  top  of  each,  have  been 
figured  in  several  "Mormon"  books.  The  supposed 
characters  inscribed  on  their  faces  are  not  readily  sus- 
ceptible of  interpretation,  but  whether  this  is  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  wood-engraver  who  made  the  orig- 
inal printing  blocks  copied  them  incorrectly,  or 
whether  the  plates  were  a  mere  hoax,  containing  only 
such  characters  as  would  be  traced  haphazard  by  any 
common,  unlearned  trickster,  it  would  be  quite  impos- 
sible to  determine  offhand.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  sev- 
eral of  these  characters  suggest  shapes  seen  in  various 
ancient  inscriptions,  as  might  be  recognized  by 
learned  and  unlearned  alike.  Of  course,  such  resem- 
blances readily  suggest  meanings  and  ideas,  and  might 
lead  some  to  attempt  a  theory  on  the  meaning  of  the 
total  inscription.     On  this  point  our  critic  remarks: 

**Not  a  few  were  deceived  by  their  antique  appearance,  till 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  33 

at  length  in  1879,  W.  Fulgate,  one  of  those  to  devise  the  hum- 
bug, made  affidavit  as  to  how  the  plates  had  been  fashioned 
and  caused  to  bear  the  semblance  of  age." 

So  the  learned  world  had  to  wait  thirty-six  years 
for  the  ** confession''  of  Mr.  Fulgate,  and,  in  the 
meantime,  others  might  have  been  ^'deceived"  also! 
In  a  footnote  he  adds  the  further  remark: 

"The  plea  of  a  Mormon  apologist  that  the  late  date  of 
Fulgate's  testimony  is  ground  for  challenging  its  truthful- 
ness is  far  from  disposing  of  the  sworn  statement.  The 
necessity  that  the  witness  should  take  account  of  his  con- 
federates, as  well  as  a  natural  hesitation  to  declare  his  share 
in  a  fraud  on  the  public,  might  easily  have  induced  delay." 

An  Unfair  Condemnation. — ^Whether  our  critic 
knows  it  or  not,  or  whether  the  ** Mormon  apologist" 
mentioned  was  culpable  in  questioning  the  **  sworn 
statement''  of  an  anti-Mormon — who  must  have  told 
the  truth  and  been  incapable  of  error  of  any  descrip- 
tion— it  is  highly  unnecessary  to  challenge  this  al- 
leged ''affidavit,'*  or  to  notice  it  in  any  way.  All 
that  we  have  to  do  is  to  inquire  what  Joseph  Smith 
really  said  about  these  plates,  and  from  that  to  deter- 
mine for  ourselves  whether  we  need  condemn  him  for 
** downright  faking."  His  comments  on  the  matter, 
all  that  he  ever  made,  are  in  the  following  words : 

"The  plates  were  found  on  the  breast  of  the  skeleton  and 
were  covered  on  both  sides  with  ancient  characters.  I  have 
translated  a  portion  of  them,  and  find  they  contain  the  history 
of  the  person  with  whom  they  were  found.  He  was  a  descend- 
ant of  Ham,  through  the  loins  of  Pharaoh,  King  of  Egypt, 
and  that  he  received  his  kingdom  from  the  Ruler  of  heaven 
and  earth." — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  V,  p.  372. 

Whether  the  remark  in  the  last  clause  refers  to  the 
''descendant  of  Ham"  or  to  ** Pharaoh"  is  not  quite 
clear  from  the  construction.  It  is  not  impossible  to 
hold,  however,  that  the  writer  of  the  above  might  have 
believed,  even  on  the  basis  of  an  adequate  knowledge 
of  Egyptian,  Hittite,  Chinese,  or  any  other  form  of 
writing  resembling  the  marks  on  these  plates,  that 
some  such  meaning  was  to  be  derived  from  the  few 
that  seem  to  be  *  legible."    As  is  known,  also,  numer- 


34        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

ous  characters  in  Egyptian,  and  other  ancient  forms 
of  writing,  connote  definite  things,  persons,  or  ideas, 
not  sounds  merely.  Consequently,  the  presence  of 
characters  resembling  some  such  ideograms  might  lead 
one  to  hazard  a  guess  as  to  the  significance  of  the 
whole  inscription.  We  are  asked  to  condemn  Mr. 
Smith  for  doing  something  of  this  kind — if,  indeed, 
we  are  to  accept  him  at  his  own  profession — but  the 
learned  Egyptologists  who  have  floundered  and 
guessed  upon  the  meaning  of  the  Egyptian  plates 
above  mentioned  are  proposed  as  competent  witnesses 
on  Smith's  '* impostures. ' '  Had  Mr.  Smith  been  *'on 
the  other  side"  his  very  act  of  refraining  from  a 
''full  translation"  would  have  been  cited  to  show  that 
Fulgate's  allegation  of  fraud  was,  in  so  far,  supported 
by  ''contemporary  opinion."  We  find  merely  that 
Mr.  Smith  was  not  omniscient,  and  that  also  by  his 
own  acknowledgment:  for  he  did  not  profess  to 
"translate"  this  "inscription." 

Traditional  Unfairness. — In  many  particulars  the 
average  and^  representative  critic  of  Mr.  Smith  and 
the  "Mormon"  system  is  open  to  the  charge  of  unfair- 
ness. This  is  to  be  found  in  the  pervasive  tendency 
to  magnify  trivial  doings  into  offenses  of  the  most 
serious  magnitude;  or  to  interpret  perfectly  legiti- 
mate and  innocent  actions  into  evidences  of  turpitude. 
Others  than  the  present  writer  have  noted  this  tend- 
ency and  deplored  it.  Among  these  may  be  named 
the  Hon.  A.  B.  Carlton,  previously  quoted,  who  writes, 
as  follows: 

"I  wish  deliberately  to  record  my  conviction  that  the  Mor- 
mons have  been  worse  misrepresented  and  lied  about  than 
any  people  I  have  ever  known.  Lies  about  them  have  been 
made  out  of  whole  cloth;  venial  faults  and  weaknesses  have 
been  magnified  into  gross  and  monstrous  offenses,  and  inno- 
cent or  indifferent  actions  have  been  misinterpreted.  I  have 
been  an  eye  witness  to  transactions,  in  which  the  Mormons 
were  cruelly  and  outrageously  abused  for  conduct  that  was 
just,  right  and  honorable.  .  .  .  Every  now  and  then  lies  are 
set  afloat  that  the  Mormons  are  about  to  rise  in  armed  in- 
sxirrection;  when  in  truth,  I  can  say  after  nearly  seven  years' 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  35 

observation,  that  there  is  no  community  on  the  civilized 
globe  less  liable  than  the  Mormons  to  take  up  arms  against 
the  Government.  Polygamy  aside,  the  Mormons  have  been 
more  sinned  against  than  sinning." — Wonderlands  of  the  WUd 
West,  p.  151. 

''Brazen*'  and  ''Headlong."— Even  Dr.  Sheldon, 
from  whom  one  might  expect  some  discrimination  in 
the  use  of  materials,  follows  the  lead  of  other  writers, 
not  so  well  equipped  as  himself,  in  attributing  the 
most  reprehensible  motives  to  acts,  otherwise  and  in 
other  persons,  considered  perfectly  legitimate.  He 
rather  exceeds  himself  in  the  following: 

"A  further  instance,  in  a  somewhat  different  line  but 
equally  significant  of  brazen  pretence  and  headlong  disregard 
for  truth,  appears  in  the  so-called  translation  of  the  Chris- 
tian Bible.  Large  parts  of  the  translation  do  not  differ  at 
all  from  the  King  James  Version,  and  many  other  parts  differ 
only  by  slight  verbal  changes.  But  an  out  and  out  addi-  | 
tion  is  made  to  the  fiftieth  chapter  of  Genesis,  and  the  twenty- 
ninth  chapter  of  Isaiah  is  arbitrarily  amplified,  the  plain 
design  of  this  double  outrage  against  the  text  being  the  in- 
sertion of  a  forecast  of  the  prophetic  vocation  of  Joseph  Smith 
and  of  the  imearthing  of  the  Book  of  Mormon.  In  this  bare- 
faced falsification,  Rigdon,  as  being  joint  translator  with 
Smith,  was  an  accomplice." 

Outraging  the  Text.— Considering  the  history  of 
the  text  of  Scripture,  with  which  our  author  is  per- 
fectly well  acquainted,  it  must  be  insisted  that  the 
apparent  severity  of  his  characterizations  quite  exag- 
gerates the  gravity  of  Smith's  "offense."  The 
"translation"  in  question  is  not  accepted  by  the  "Mor- 
mon" Church,  which  uses  the  King  James  Version  of 
the  Scriptures,  but  is  published  and  considered  au- 
thoritative by  the  body  known  as  the  Reorganized 
Church,  of  which  the  son  of  Joseph  Smith,  the 
Prophet,  was  President  from  1860  until  his  death  in 
1914.  There  are,  to  be  sure,  such  amplifications  of 
the  text,  as  are  mentioned — another  notable  example 
being  found  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Genesis,  purport- 
ing to  give  the  correct  account  of  the  Prophet  Enoch, 
whose  "testimony"  is  cited  by  Jude.  The  amplifica- 
tion of  Genesis  fiftieth  merely  makes  the  prescient 


/ 


36        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

Patriarch  Joseph  predict^  the  joumeyings  of  the 
'^Nephites"  or  settlers  of  the  New  "World,  which,  as- 
sumed as  true,  he  should  have  known  and  predicted, 
with  the  consequent  restoration  of  the  truth  of  the 
Gospel,  and  the  events  of  the  *^last  times."  The 
chapter  in  Isaiah  contains  the  famous  passage,  relat- 
ing to  the  sealed  book,  and  the  remark  of  ''one  that 
is  learned,"  in  answer  to  the  request  to  read  it,  *'I 
cannot — for  it  is  sealed."  This  episode  is  interpreted 
by  *' Mormon"  writers  to  refer  to  the  remark  of  Prof. 
Anthon,  *'I  cannot  read  a  sealed  book."  There  are 
other  immediate  contexts,  which  suggest,  or,  at  least, 
readily  lend  themselves  to  the  theory  that  they  predict 
the  rise  of  the  Restoration  of  the  Gospel  in  the  Last 
Times,  and  are,  accordingly,  worded  so  as  to  express 
this  meaning  clearly. 

Meddling  with  the  Word. — ^Whatever  may  have 
been  the  ''authority"  back  of  Smith's  "outrage"  on 
the  text,  he  was  doing  no  more  and  no  less  than  has 
been  done  repeatedly  by  persons  having  no  more  ap- 
parent authority  than  had  he.  Many  texts  and  pas- 
sages that  long  had  a  place  in  Biblical  books  have 
been  found  by  modern  scholars  to  be  simple  interpo- 
lations— among  these  may  be  mentioned  John  vii,  53- 
viii,  2,  and  I  John  v,  7,  which  are  omitted  by  the 
Revised  Version  of  the  New  Testament — and,  accord- 
ing to  excellent  evidence,  in  the  form  of  quotations, 
etc.,  there  are  very  many  books  of  both  testaments 
that  have  been  lost.  Such  radical  variations  as  exist 
between  the  Douay  and  King  James  versions  also  indi- 
cate "editorial  activities"  on  the  part  of  someone  at 
some  time  in  the  past.  Apart  from  these  facts,  the 
text  of  Scripture  has  always  been  "outraged,"  more 
or  less,  by  the  insertion  of  chapter  headings  and  side 
notes,  to  confirm  explanations,  oftentimes  purely  gra- 
tuitous, an  element  most  notable  in  the  Geneva  Ver- 
sion and  present  to  a  considerable  extent  in  the  King 
James.    Worse  than  this,   perfectly  arbitrary  mis- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  37 

translations  of  numerous  passages  still  exist  in  the 
text;  and,  worst  of  all,  innumerable  passages  have 
been  grossly  misinterpreted,  ^* figuratively  applied" — 
hence,  really,  emasculated, — so  as  to  *'make  God's 
law  of  none  effect,"  and  suit  the  theories  of  ** com- 
mentators" and  '* theologians,"  who  have  sought  to 
compel  the  very  words  of  Christ  Himself  to  support 
the  conclusions  of  their  own  brilliant  intellects.  In 
this  connection,  also,  we  may  mention  the  numerous 
perversions  and  gratuitous  butcherings  of  the  text 
perpetrated  by  so-called  ** critics" — and  their  opin- 
ions are  already  destroying  faith  in  the  sufficiency  of 
Scripture  among  Protestants — by  which,  for  example, 
the  account  of  the  Deluge  is  cleverly  (or,  rather, 
ridiculously)  dissected  into  two  distinct  and  largely 
variant  accounts,  alleged  to  have  been  combined  by 
some  ultra-clever,  and  quite  hypothetical  ** redactor," 
who,  however,  seems  to  have  been  as  careless  as  the 
'* critics"  profess  to  be  ** scholarly"  and  able. 

Evil  Examples  Emulated. — Therefore,  even  in  this 
** brazen  pretense"  and  ** headlong  disregard  for 
truth,"  it  is  perfectly  certain  that  Joseph  Smith  can 
justly  be  accused  of  no  worse  than  following  the  bad 
examples  of  his  predecessors,  whose  marginal  **  inter- 
pretations" are  often  entirely  indefensible,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  **Song  of  Solomon,"  or  whose  persistent 
ignoring  of  some  of  the  plainest  teachings  of  Scripture 
in  the  formulations  of  their  ** systematic  theologies," 
have  established  precedents  of  the  worst  variety.  If 
he  also  chose  to  interpret  the  text,  and  to  add  and 
alter  to  justify  his  principles — whether  or  not  by 
divine  command,  as  he  claimed — he  was  merely  doing 
what  had  so  often  been  done  before,  and  with  as  good 
apparent  authority.  Precisely  how  this  *' lapse,"  this 
''brazen  pretense,"  if  you  will,  can  be  made  to  argue 
that  the  *'Book  of  Mormon,"  or  other  professedly 
authoritative  work  of  his  is  mere  **  imposture, "  it 
would  be  difficult  to  understand.    His  act  in  this  par- 


38        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

ticular  is  scarcely  more  reprehensible  than  Martin  Lu- 
ther's  formal  rejection  of  the  Epistle  of  James,  because 
it  combatted  his  belief  in  ** justification  by  faith.'' 

The  Authority  Claimed  by  Smith. — Indeed,  in  this 
connection,  we  must  protest  that  no  explanation  of 
Smith 's  character  and  career  is  quite  so  satisfactory — 
so  perfectly  in  accord  with  the  facts  established  re- 
garding him — as  the  assumption  that  he  was  perfectly 
sincere  in  his  professions.  If  he  was  really  the  sub- 
ject of  divine  guidance,  this  is  perfectly  comprehensi- 
ble, of  course ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  he  had  had  ex- 
periences which  he  believed  to  be  ** divine  promptings" 
and  *' revelations,"  it  must  be  asked,  by  what  stand- 
ards, or  according  to  what  rules  of  inference,  one 
could  determine  that  such  were  mere  delusions.  In 
default  of  authoritative  deliverances  on  this  point 
from  ** modern  critical  scholarship,"  we  must  insist 
that  there  was  only  one  rule  available  to  people  in 
Mr.  Smith's  day — a  rule  which,  as  it  seems,  he  ap- 
plied— and  that  this  is  given  in  the  words  of  I  John 
iv,  1,  2 :  *  ^  Try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God : 
.  .  .  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God :  Every  spirit 
that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh 
is  of  God."  It  is  to  be  remarked  that  in  the  afore- 
mentioned examples  of  *' brazen  pretense,"  etc.,  the 
*' gratuitous  additions"  to  the  text  of  Genesis  and 
Isaiah,  the  most  conspicuous  fact  is  the  repeated  intro- 
duction of  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Eternal 
Son  of  God,  or  distinct  and  unmistakable  references 
to  Him. 

Solomon  Spaulding  Resurrected. — It  may  be  an- 
swered to  our  contentions  in  the  preceding  paragraphs 
that,  if  a  man  commits  what  seems  to  be,  according  to 
our  lights,  an  act  of  such  presumption,  it  is  fair  also 
to  conclude  that  any  of  his  other  works,  particularly 
those  involved  in  dispute,  were  similarly  produced. 
This  is,  of  course,  the  very  thing  to  which  our  author 
is  attempting  to  argue,  and  which,  he  evidently  be- 
lieves, he  has  gone  near  to  proving.    We  must  be  con- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  39 

sistent  critics,  however,  and  ar^e  all  conclusions  to 
their  logical  ends.  We  may  ask,  therefore :  Why,  if 
Smith  gratuitously  and  deliberately  inserted  various 
passages  in  the  text  of  Scripture,  do  we  not  argue  also 
that  he  must  have  written  the  ''Book  of  Mormon," 
in  precisely  similar  fashion?  The  additions  found  in  i/ 
Genesis  vi  and  vii,  giving  the  accounts  of  the  doings 
of  Adam  and  Enoch,  certainly  show  a  marked  capacity 
for  producing  the  very  kind  of  narrations  character- 
istic of  the  ''Book  of  Mormon."  One  might  reason- 
ably hold,  indeed,  that  their  origin  was  the  same, 
wherever  it  may  have  been  located.  Sheldon,  how- 
ever, as  well  as  most  anti-Mormon  writers,  is  barred 
from  the  use  of  this  very  obvious  conclusion  for  one 
of  his  opinions,  by  the  fact  that  it  is  necessary  to  ac- 
cept the  allegations  of  the  Spaulding-authorship 
theory,  merely  because  it  is  supported  by  the  same 
kind  of  "affidavits"  as  those  of  the  IngersoUs,  Ful- 
gates,  and  other  exponents  of  "integrity  and  reliabil- 
ity," which  have  been  so  often  used  as  "evidence"  of 
Smith's  bad  character.  To  question  the  validity  of 
these  "affidavits"  in  one  connection  must  very  seri- 
ously embarrass  their  use  in  another — and  all  are  of 
the  same  description,  open  to  the  same  line  of  objec- 
tions. Furthermore,  the  representative  of  a  family  of 
"shiftless  and  untrustworthy  character"  seems  so 
liable,  in  the  eyes  of  our  friends,  to  perpetrate  some 
troublesome  "hoax"  of  the  "Book  of  Mormon"  va- 
riety, that  the  two  lines  of  allegation  seem — to  them — 
beautifully  matched  parts  of  one  whole.  It  seems 
necessary,  therefore,  to  follow  our  author  into  the 
tedious  windings  of  this  contemptible  Spaulding 
theory,  in  order  to  demonstrate,  if  for  no  other  reason, 
the  complete  absurdity  and  futility  of  its  allegations. 
He  introduces  his  argument  as  follows : 

"In  the  fourth  place,  the  high  pretensions  of  Joseph  Smith 
in  relation  to  the  Book  of  Mormon  must  be  regarded  as  most 
seriously  damaged  by  the  historical  demonstration,  that,  to 
a  conspicuous  degree,  the  groundwork  of  that  book  was  bor- 
rowed from  a  romantic  story  of  Solomon  Spaulding  entitled 


40       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

'Manuscript  Found.'  This  waa  begun  in  1811  or  1812  at 
Conneaut,  Ohio,  was  left  for  a  time  in  the  printing  office  of 
Patterson  in  Pittsburgh,  was  probably  taken  thence  to  Amity, 
Pennsylvania,  to  be  retouched,  and  was  sent  anew  to  Pat- 
terson's establishment  shortly  before  the  death  of  the  author 
in  1816.'* 

This  statement,  so  far  as  the  dates  are  concerned,  is 
taken  from  the  revised  form  of  this  story,  as  presented 
by  a  certain  A.  T.  Schroeder,  who,  as  our  author  re- 
marks, published  a  ^^very  careful  review''  of  the 
''relations"  between  the  ''Book  of  Mormon"  and  Mr. 
Spaulding's  romance,  entitled  "Manuscript  Found." 
Schroeder  is  the  strongest  advocate  of  the  theory  that 
Spaulding  wrote  more  than  one  story  of  the  title  men- 
tioned, a  fact  not  clearly  stated  or  understood  before. 
Apart  from  his  arguments,  it  has  no  strong  support, 
and'  it  is  more  than  probable  that  it  is  untrue,  as  may 
be  judged  later. 

Scribbler  and  Scapegoat. — ^According  to  accepted 
data,  Solomon  Spaulding  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
1761.  He  is  said  to  have  been  a  graduate  of  Dart- 
mouth College,  and  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  Con- 
gregationalist  preacher.  He  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile business  after  1800,  having  been  located  at  Cherry 
Valley,  N.  Y.,  Conneaut,  O.,  and  finally  at  Amity, 
Penn.,  where  he  died  in  1816.  While  at  Conneaut  he 
seems  to  have  become  interested  in  Indian  antiquities, 
particularly  in  the  mounds  and  other  works  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  started  to  write  a  romantic  story, 
with  the  reported  intention  of  explaining  them,  and 
describing  their  builders,  their  customs,  etc.  This 
work,  begun  in  1808  or  1809,  was  read  by  him  to  a 
number  of  his  neighbors,  as  represented  in  Howe's 
book,  "Mormonism  Unveiled,"  about  1810.  Accord- 
ing to  the  usual  account,  his  manuscript  was  never 
published.  According  to  the  theory,  it  was  stolen 
and,  after  various  vicissitudes,  fell  into  the  hands  of 
Joseph  Smith,  to  be  recast  as  the  "Book  of  Mormon." 

History  of  the  Spaulding  Theory. — The  attempted 
justification  of  tbi§  account  is  made  in  the  alleged 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  41 

event  that  a  '* Mormon"  missionary  read  some  ex- 
tracts from  the  **Book  of  Mormon"  at  Conneaut,  0., 
in  1834,  when  former  neighbors  and  several  relatives 
of  Mr.  Spaulding  ''immediately  recognized  it  as  his 
work";  the  result  being  a  public  meeting  and  the  dep- 
utation of  one  Philastus  Hurlburt,  there  conveniently 
present  to  visit  the  author's  widow,  to  obtain  the 
manuscript  of  the  book  from  which  they  had  heard  the 
extracts  read.  Whatever  may  be  assumed  to  be 
the  truth  regarding  the  public  meeting  or  the  depu- 
tation of  this  Hurlburt  on  the  fool 's  errand  of  seeking 
for  the  manuscript  of  a  book  already  in  print,  from 
the  family  of  the  author,  from  whom  it  is  reported 
to  have  been  stolen,  it  is  probable  that  Hurlburt 
actually  called  on  this  lady,  and  that  he  obtained  a 
manuscript  from  her.  That  it  was  not  what  he  wanted 
seems  established  (1)  by  the  fact  that  he  makes  no 
mention  of  or  quotation  from  it  in  the  book  prepared 
by  himself  and  Howe,  (2)  by  the  fact  that  it  was 
actually  recovered  by  President  Fairchild  of  Oberlin 
College  in  1884,  being  identified  by  Hurlburt 's  signa- 
ture and  that  of  several  of  Spaulding's  old  neighbors. 
It  bears  no  possible  resemblance  to  the  ' '  Book  of  Mor- 
mon," either  in  plot,  treatment  or  style.  Upon  this  ^ 
fact  is  based  the  theory  that  Spaulding  wrote  several  ^ 
manuscripts  of  ancient  American  romance,  one  of 
which  is  supposedly  described  in  the  ** affidavits"  of 
numerous  **old  neighbors"  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  as  given 
in  Howe's  book. 

The  ''Historical  Demonstration.'' — In  order  to 
show  the  sort  of  thing  which,  according  to  our  author, 
constitutes  "historical  demonstration,"  when  applied 
to  "Mormon"  matters,  it  will  be  in  place  to  quote 
briefly  from  the  numerous  "affidavits"  published  in 
Howe's  book,  and  analyze  the  allegations  to  which 
they  seem  to  argue.  We  shall  find,  to  be  sure,  an  ele- 
ment of  perfect  confidence  in  the  asserted  identifica- 
tion of  the  "Book  of  Mormon"  as  the  writing  of  Solo- 
jnon  Spaulding,  but  must  recognize  tJistt  tbere  is 


42       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

considerable  margin  for  forming  an  opinion  contrary 
to  the  claims  made  by  and  for  the  *' deponents/' 
Among  the  persons  uttering  ** affidavits"  according  to 
Howe  may  be  mentioned  a  certain  John  Spaulding, 
alleged  to  be  a  brother  of  Solomon,  and  also  a  resident 
of  Conneaut,  together  with  his  wife,  Martha;  Henry 
Lake,  alleged  to  have  been  the  ** partner"  of  Solomon 
Spaulding,  and  several  **old  neighbors,"  Aaron 
Wright,  Oliver  Smith,  John  Miller,  and  others. 

Howe's  ''Testimonies." — These  persons,  as  repre- 
sented, agree  in  asserting  that  Spaulding  had  written 
a  romance  of  ancient  America  during  his  residence  in 
Conneaut,  and  that  he  had  frequently  read  it,  or 
parts  of  it,  to  them  at  times  around  the  year  1810. 
In  professing  to  describe  its  contents  some  of  them 
come  near  to  describing  in  a  vague  way  some  of  the 
main  incidents  of  the  early  portions  of  the  *^Book  of 
Mormon,"  and  with  a  wealth  of  detail  that  indicates, 
either  phenomenally  good  memories,  or  else  strong 
persuasions  on  the  part  of  some  interviewer,  who  has 
cleverly  wrought  simple  suggestions  of  names  and  inci- 
dents into  a  semblance  of  recollection.  Thus  the  docu- 
ment given  over  the  name  of  John  Spaulding  alleges 
of  the  supposed  Spaulding  manuscript : 

**It  was  a  historical  romance  of  the  first  settlers  of  Amer- 
ica, and  endeavored  to  show  that  the  American  Indians  are 
the  descendants  of  the  Jews,  or  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes.  It 
gave  a  detailed  account  of  their  journey  from  Jerusalem,  by 
land  and  sea,  until  they  arrived  in  America,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lehi  and  Nephi.  They  afterwards  had  quarrels  and 
contentions,  and  separated  into  two  distinct  nations,  one  of 
which  he  denominated  Nephites,  the  other  Lamanites.  Cruel 
and  bloody  wars  ensued,  in  which  great  multitudes  were 
slain.  They  buried  their  dead  in  large  heaps  which  caused 
the  mounds  so  common  in  this  country.  Their  arts,  sciences 
and  civilization  are  all  brought  into  view,  in  order  to  ac- 
count for  all  the  curious  antiquities  found  in  various  parts 
of  Northern  and  Southern  America.  I  well  remember  that 
he  wrote  in  the  old  style,  and  commenced  almost  every  sen- 
tence with,  *And  it  came  to  pass,'  or  *Now  it  came  to  pass.' " 

Mrs.  Martha  Spaulding  deposes  also  that: 

"He   [S.   Spaulding]   was  then  writing  a  historical  novel 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  43 

founded  on  the  first  settlers  of  America.  He  represented 
them  as  an  enlightened  and  warlike  people.  He  had  for 
many  years  contended  that  the  aborigines  of  America  were 
the  descendants  of  some  of  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel;  and  this 
idea  he  carried  out  in  the  book  in  question.  The  lapse  of 
time  which  has  intervened  prevents  my  recollecting  but  few 
of  the  leading  incidents  of  his  writings;  but  the  names  Lehi 
and  Nephi  are  yet  fresh  in  my  memory  as  being  the  principal 
heroes  of  his  tale." 

Henry  Lake  is  quoted  as  stating: 

"Solomon  Spaulding  frequently  read  to  me  from  a  manu- 
script which  he  was  writing,  which  he  entitled  the  *Manu- 
script  Found,'  and  which  he  represented  as  being  found  in  this 
town.  I  spent  many  hours  in  hearing  him  read  said  writ- 
ings, and  became  well  acquainted  with  their  contents.  The 
Book  represented  the  American  Indians  as  being  the  descend- 
ants of  the  Lost  Tribes  of  Israel,  and  gave  an  account  of  their 
having  left  Jerusalem,  and  of  their  contentions  and  wars, 
which  were  many  and  great." 

Aaron  Wright  is  quoted  as  stating: 

"One  day  when  I  was  at  the  house  of  Solomon  Spaulding, 
he  showed  and  read  to  me  a  history  he  was  writing  of  the 
Lost  Tribes  of  Israel,  purporting  that  they  were  the  first 
settlers  of  America  and  that  the  Indians  were  their  descend- 
ants. He  traced  their  journeyings  from  Jerusalem  to  Amer- 
ica. He  told  me  that  his  object  was  to  accoimt  for  the  forti- 
fications, etc.,  that  were  to  be  found  in  this  country,  and 
said  that  in  time,  it  would  be  fully  believed  by  aU  except 
learned  men  and  historians." 

Oliver  Smith  is  quoted  as  stating: 

"Solomon  Spaulding  boarded  at  my  house  six  months.  All 
his  leisure  hours  were  occupied  in  writing  a  historical  novel, 
founded  upon  the  first  settlers  of  this  country.  He  said  he 
intended  to  trace  their  journey  from  Jerusalem,  by  land  and 
sea  till  their  arrival  in  America,  and  give  an  account  of 
their  arts,  sciences,  civilization,  laws  and  contentions.  In 
this  way  he  would  give  a  satisfactory  account  of  all  of  the 
old  moimds  so  common  in  this  country.  Nephi  and  Lehi  were 
by  him  represented  as  the  leading  characters,  when  they  first 
started  for  America." 

"Complete  Identifications."— In  addition  to  these 
main  statements,  which  on  the  professed  authority  of 
the  persons  represented  ai^  having  signed  the  alleged 
** affidavits/'  various  writers,  following  Howe,  have 
accepted  as  *' historical  demonstrations"  of  the  theory 


M       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

that  Spaulding  wrote  the  *^Book  of  Mormon,"  these 
** deponents/'  and  several  others  make  such  statements 
as  the  following: 

"To  the  best  of  my  recollection  the  'Book  of  Mormon'  is 
the  same  as  what  my  brother,  Solomon  Spaulding,  wrote, 
except  the  religious  matter''  (John  Spaulding)  ;  "I  have  ex- 
amined the  *Book  of  Mormon/  and  find  in  it  the  writings  of 
Solomon  Spaulding  from  beginning  to  end,  but  mixed  with 
Scripture  and  other  religious  matter,  which  I  did  not  meet 
in  the  'Manuscript  Found*"  (J.  N.  Miller);  "Spaulding 
traced  the  journey  of  the  first  settlers  of  America  from  Jeru- 
salem to  America,  as  it  is  given  in  the  *Book  of  Mormon,' 
except  the  religious  matter^'  (Aaron  Wright) ;  "I  have  read 
the  *Book  of  Mormon'  and  believe  it  to  be  the  same  as  Spauld- 
ing wrote,  except  the  religious  parf  (Nahum  Howard) ;  *'I 
have  examined  the  *Book  of  Mormon'  and  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying  that  the  historical  part  of  it  is  principally  if  not 
wholly  &ken  from  the  'Manuscript  Found'"    (Henry  Lake). 

Others  of  the  alleged  ''deponents"  state  with  more 
or  less  confidence  that  the  two  books  are  the  same,  or 
principally  so,  and  very  many  of  them  add  that  they 
distinctly  remember  the  names  of  Nephi,  Lehi,  Ne- 
phites  and  Lamanites.  A  few  add  also  the  names  of 
Mormon  and  Moroni.  These  six  names  are,  appar- 
ently, the  only  ones  ''distinctly  remembered"  by  and 
among  these  people,  as  quoted  by  Howe.  None  of  the 
other  strange  names  seem  to  have  been  remembered. 

Upon  these  meagre  allegations  are  based  the  so- 
called  Spaulding  theory,  which  people  possessed  of 
education  and  critical  judgment — in  matters  other 
than  those  concerned  with  "Mormonism" — confi- 
dently announce  as  "historically  demonstrated." 
There  are,  however,  several  plain  elements  incongruous 
with  this  conclusion,  which  form  a  very  firm  ground 
for  questioning  the  accuracy,  or  even  the  validity,  of 
these  professed  "affidavits." 

Amazing  Peats  of  Memory. — In  the  first  place, 
these  "affidavits"  were  uttered,  according  to  Howe, 
not  earlier  than  1834,  and  profess  to  describe  a  book 
seen  or  heard  read  not  later  than  1810  or  1812 — sev- 
eral of  the  "deponents"  specify  that  it  was  about 
1810— between  twenty-two  and  twenty -four  years  be- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  45 

fore  the  date  of  the  alleged  ** testimonies/'  In  any 
other  connection,  or  in  a  court  of  law,  it  would  be 
recognized  without  question  that  **  precise  recollec- 
tion,'' particularly  of  names  and  minor  incidents  so 
far  in  the  past  must  be  extremely  unreliable ;  and  that 
the  ability  to  identify  a  book  seen  in  print  for  the  first 
time  with  one  heard  read  in  manuscript  some  twenty 
years  before  is  extremely  questionable.  If  one  man 
professes  to  be  able  to  perform  any  such  feat  of  mem- 
ory, he  may  be  credited  with  phenomenal  powers  of 
recollecting,  but  when  several  persons,  evidently  not 
highly  educated,  nor  given  to  the  cultivation  of  pre- 
cision, are  credited  with  any  such  ability,  we  have 
merely  a  good  example  of  absurd  fatuity,  or  of  im- 
placable prejudice,  as  in  the  present  case,  which  seizes 
any  drifting  straw  of  ** testimony,"  as  if  it  might  be 
strong  enough  to  float  with  the  weight  of  their  theory 
upon  it.  Such  conclusions  as  the  above  even  Professor 
Sheldon,  as  the  most  scholarly  critic  of  **Mormonism" 
in  recent  years,  is  bound  to  recognize.  Thus,  in  the 
case  of  Dr.  Anthon's  lapses  of  memory,  as  shown  in 
his  contradictions  between  the  first  letter,  written  to 
E.  D.  Howe  in  1834,  and  the  second,  written  to  T.  W. 
Coit  in  1841 — seven  and  fourteen  years  after  the  event 
described,  respectively — ^he  writes: 

''Mormon  apologists  are  able  to  point  out  some  discrepan- 
cies between  the  two  letters.  But  they  are  such  as  might 
result  from  a  memory  not  supported  by  records  at  hand." 

This  statement  is  made,  furthermore,  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  Anthon  remarks  in  the  first  letter:  **I 
have  frequently  conversed  with  friends  on  the  subject 
since  the  Mormonite  excitement  began,''  indicating 
that  the  matter  of  his  conversation  with  Harris  was, 
during  the  first  seven  years  at  least,  somewhat  before 
his  mind.  If,  under  such  conditions,  and  also  in  view 
of  the  fact  that,  as  he  states  in  his  second  letter,  his 
name  was  constantly  being  mentioned  by  ** Mormon'' 
speakers,  particularly  in  connection  with  the  supposed 
fulfillment  of  the  prophecy  in  Isaiah  already  referred 


46       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

to,  the  memory  of  so  learned  a  man  could  show  even 
such  lapses  as  we  have  noted,  it  is  quite  certain  that 
the  plain  and  unlearned  people  alleged  to  have  ut- 
tered the  ''affidavits"  quoted  by  Howe,  after  over 
twenty  years  in  which,  as  several  of  them  acknowledge, 
Spaulding  and  his  manuscript  had  become  somewhat 
vague  in  their  minds,  may  be  considered  as  haviug 
made  far  more  serious  lapses.  Nor  is  it  any  less  rea- 
sonable to  hold  that  the  more  significant  parallels, 
drawn  by  them  between  Spaulding 's  reported  manu- 
script and  the  ''Book  of  Mormon,"  were  elicited  in 
answer  to  question,  such  as,  "Do  you  remember  the 
name  Nephi?"     This  we  will  discuss  later  on. 

"Lost  Tribes"  Pound  Again. — In  the  second  place, 
the  statements  attributed  to  Spaulding 's  old  friends 
and  neighbors  by  the  author  of  "Mormonism  Un- 
veiled" indicate,  either  that  they  were  really  speaking 
of  some  other  book,  or  else  that  they  were  affirmative 
replies  to  such  questions  as  the  above  made  by  some- 
one who  had  but  the  vaguest  idea  of  the  contents  of 
the  "Book  of  Mormon,"  or  the  main  incidents  found 
in  it.  This  is  shown  in  the  statements,  attributed  to 
John  Spaulding  and  his  wife,  to  Henry  Lake,  alleged 
former  business  partner  of  Solomon  Spaulding,  Aaron 
Wright,  with  whom,  as  alleged,  he  was  on  very  friendly 
terms,  that  the  story  remembered  by  them  represented 
the  Indians  as  descendants  of  the  "Lost  Tribes  of 
Israel."  The  "Book  of  Mormon"  makes  no  such 
claim,  representing  that  the  Jewish  emigrants  from 
Jerusalem  consisted  principally  of  Lehi  and  his  four 
sons,  with  their  wives  and  dependents,  who  were,  as 
represented,  utterly  different  people  from  the  so-called 
"Lost  Tribes" — ^these  were  the  body  of  Israelites  who 
did  not  return  to  Palestine  after  the  Babylonish  cap- 
tivity, and  have  been  sought  for  and  "discovered"  in 
all  parts  of  the  earth.  Nor  is  this  a  "minor  inaccu- 
racy": it  shows  that  the  four  persons  who  repeated  the 
allegation  were  certainly  confusing  Spaulding 's  pos- 
sible beliefs  in  the  matter — ^for  it  was  as  fashionable 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  47 

then  to  believe  that  the  Indians  are  the  *'Lost  Tribes,'* 
as  it  is  now  to  believe  that  all  men  are  descended  from 
apelike  ancestors, — with  what  he  may  be  assumed  to 
have  stated  in  his  manuscript.  Such  slips  do  not 
beget  full  confidence  in  the  allegations  touching  the 
remainder  of  the  manuscript's  contents. 

Accounting  for  Antiquities. — In  the  third  place, 
the  allegations  made  above,  to  the  effect  that  Mr. 
Spaulding  had  intended  his  story  to  * '  account  for  the 
fortifications,  etc.,  that  were  to  be  found  in  this  coun- 
try'' refer  to  some  other  book  than  the  ''Book  of 
Mormon,"  which  treats  such  matters  in  a  most  inci- 
dental fashion,  if  at  all,  and  evidently  makes  no  at- 
tempt to  ''account  for"  anything  of  the  kind.  This 
statement  will  bear  the  fullest  investigation.  If 
Spaulding  really  wrote  a  story  that  formed  even  the 
groundwork  of  the  "Book  of  Mormon,"  and  his  hand 
was  so  obvious  as  to  be  recognized  by  ''old  neighbors" 
and  others  it  is  remarkable  that  none  of  them  mention 
the  omission  of  these  references. 

Patient  Listeners. — In  the  fourth  place,  these  wit- 
nesses are  made  to  state  that  Spaulding  had  read  them 
his  manuscript  sufficiently  often  and  sufficiently  fully 
to  give  them  a  knowledge  of  its  contents ;  which  mdi- 
cates  that  it  must  certainly  have  been  some  other  book 
than  the  "Book  of  Mormon,"  which  contains,  on  rea- 
sonable estimate,  at  least  340,000  words,  most  of  it  of 
a  character  by  no  means  calculated  to  enchain  the 
interest  of  a  casual  reader  or  hearer,  nor  to  "stick  in 
his  memory."  When,  therefore,  such  a  "deponent" 
as  J.  N.  Miller,  as  above  quoted,  states,  "I  have  ex- 
amined the  'Book  of  Mormon,'  and  find  in  it  the 
writings  of  Solomon  Spaulding  from  beginning  to 
end,"  etc.,  it  is  perfectly  evident  that  he  is  exceeding 
his  knowledge,  and  making  a  perfectly  indefensible 
allegation. 

The  "Added  Religious  Element."— In  the  fifth 
place,  the  allegations  to  the  effect  that  the  "Book  of 
Mormon"  is  identical  with  the  Spaulding  manuscript 


48       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

described,  ^'except  the  religious  part/'  are  amply  suf- 
ficient, to  any  competent  literary  critic,  to  condemn 
the  validity  of  the  entire  mass  of  ''testimony^'  given 
by  Howe.  If  the  very  va^e  and  general  statements 
made  by  these  persons  be  interpreted  to  indicate  that 
the  supposed  story  in  their  minds  contained  no  more 
religious  and  Scriptural  matter  than  the  known  and 
attested  manuscript  of  Spaulding,  we  may  say,  with- 
out hesitation,  that  their  statements  are  false  and 
mendacious  on  the  very  face.  Only  a  casual  examina- 
tion of  the  '^Book  of  Mormon"  is  sufficient  for  a 
demonstration  of  this  contention.  For,  not  only  do 
the  religious  passages  appear  as  parts  of  the  whole, 
unless  we  allow  a  doubt  to  attach,  for  the  mere  sake 
of  argument,  to  some  of  the  longer  orations  and  dis- 
quisitions, but  it  would  be  impossible  for  even  the 
most  skillful  critic  to  say  where  the  religious  element 
might  have  been  added  in  any  place,  or  where  it  could 
be  omitted  without  changing  the  whole  narration  to 
something  quite  different.  To  state,  or  to  tolerate  the 
statement  of  a  person  of  uncritical  mind,  that  the  al- 
leged writings  of  Spaulding,  or  any  other  man,  are  to 
be  found  in  the  "Book  of  Mormon,"  "mixed  with 
Scripture,  and  other  religious  matter,  which  I  did  not 
meet  in  the  *  Manuscript  Found,'  "  is  merely  to  assist 
an  "imposture"  quite  as  great  as  ever  the  "Book  of 
Mormon"  itself  has  been  asserted  to  be.  The  reli- 
gious matter,  and  the  religious  character  of  the  entire 
book  positively  cannot  be  separated  from  the  bald  out- 
lines of  the  story  and  leave  anything  that  a  scholar, 
let  alone  an  unlearned  man  or  woman,  could  recognize 
and  discriminate,  as  from  a  different  specific  source. 
How  Names  were  "Remembered." — In  the  sixth 
place,  the  "singular  unanimity"  among  these  "wit- 
nesses" in  the  matter  of  names  "distinctly  remem- 
bered" is  a  most  suspicious  circumstance  in  itself. 
As  stated  above,  the  testimony  of  the  entire  coterie,  as 
given  by  Howe,  agree  upon  six  names  merely,  out  of 
all  the  scores  given  in  the  "Book  of  Mormon."    It  is 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  49 

strange,  for  example,  that  none  of  these  ^  ^  deponents, " 
all  so  familiar,  as  represented,  with  Spaulding's  works, 
should  have  remembered  to  mention  Coriantumr,  or 
Jared,  or  his  unnamed  brother ;  or  to  have  remarked 
that  Nephi  had  a  brother  named  Sam,  which  moves  a 
certain  critic  to  animadvert  sarcastically  on  this  ' '  Yan- 
kee nickname' ';  or  to  have  remembered  that  their 
**  curiosity  had  been  excited  by  the  mention  of  the 
'cumoms'  and  ^cureloms,'  "  supposed  to  have  been 
some  kind  of  domestic  animals.  It  is  a  conclusion  al- 
most obvious  that  the  names  of  Nephi,  Lehi,  etc.,  were 
given  affirmatively  as  answers  to  direct  questions, 
asked  by  persons  having  a  very  meagre  knowledge  of 
the  **Book  of  Mormon,*'  and  that  they  were  not  volun- 
teered by  any  of  the  ** deponents,''  unless  by  such  as 
may  have  read  the  **Book  of  Mormon/'  and  con- 
cluded that  these  names  were  familiar. 

Edited  ** Testimonies." — In  addition  to  the  fact — 
which  would  be  unescapably  obvious  in  other  connec- 
tions— that  the  very  circumstantiality  with  which 
these  several  ** deponents"  profess  to  describe  Spauld- 
ing's manuscript,  not  seen  or  heard  read  by  any  one 
of  them  for  over  twenty  years,  constitutes  a  very  sus- 
piciously vivid  suggestion  that  their  ** testimonies"  are 
not  in  the  form  in  which  they  originated  them,  or,  at 
the  least,  were  not  volunteered  by  any  of  them,  apart 
from  suggestions  and  questionings  by  an  interested 
party,  there  is  excellent  reason  for  assuming  that 
their  form  in  Howe's  book  represents  some  very  radi- 
cal editions  of  several  particulars.  In  the  case  of 
documents  pertaining  to  the  other  side  of  the  contro- 
versy such  a  suspicion  would  be  formed,  without  hesi- 
tation. Indeed,  such  suspicions  have  been  frequently 
stated,  and  by  the  writer  under  discussion.  Thus,  as 
quoted  above,  he  calls  Sidney  Rigdon  Smith's  ** ac- 
complice" in  the  perpetration  of  a  **  double  outrage 
against  the  text,"  of  Scripture:  and  '* accomplice" 
means  something  other  and  worse  than  ''tool," 
*'dupe,"  or  even  ''confidant."    Later,  in  discussing 


50       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

the  ** three  witnesses"  to  the  '*Book  of  Mormon/'  he 
remarks  that  *Hhey  might  with  a  fair  degree  of  pro- 
priety be  styled  his  confederates  in  that  project." 
Yet,  in  expressing  such  opinions,  to  which  he  is  fairly 
well  entitled,  no  suspicion  seems  to  occur  that  there 
may  have  been  some  *^ faking"  on  the  anti-Smith  side 
also.  The  reasons  for  such  a  conclusion  may  be 
briefly  stated. 

Motive  for  the  Fraud. — The  book  entitled  ''Mor- 
monism  Unveiled,"  which  contains  the  Spaulding 
**afi5davits,"  was  doubtless  largely  prepared  by  Hurl- 
burt,  although  signed  by  E.  D.  Howe.  Hurlburt  was 
himself  an  apostate  ** Mormon,"  and  Howe  enter- 
tained a  bitter  animosity  against  the  Church,  because 
of  the  fact  that  his  wife  and  daughter  had  joined  it 
contrary  to  his  wishes.  That  two  men  of  their  bitter 
feelings  would  miss  any  opportunity  to  discredit 
Smith  and  his  people,  or  fail  to  interpret  any  ''testi- 
monies" that  they  may  have  collected  to  suit  their 
contentions,  is  highly  improbable.  Of  Howe  we  know 
little,  but  Hurlburt  has  left  a  record  that  is  susceptible 
of  unfavorable  interpretation.  He  was  called  ''Doc- 
tor," not  because  he  was  a  qualified  physician,  but 
because  he  was  the  seventh  son  of  his  father,  hence, 
according  to  old  folk-lore  superstition,  the  supposed 
possessor  of  supernatural  qualifications  as  a  healer — 
in  other  words,  it  was  his  name.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  connection  at  one 
time,  but  to  have  been  excommunicated  under  charges 
against  his  character.  Early  in  1833  he  came  to  Kirt- 
land,  Ohio,  "to  investigate  Mormonism,"  and  later 
joined  the  Church.  On  March  18  of  that  year  he 
was  ordained  an  elder,  and  sometime  later  was  sent 
on  a  mission  to  the  Eastern  States.  On  June  3  of 
the  same  year,  on  accusation  of  "unchristian  con- 
duct" involving  charges  of  immorality,  he  was  tried 
and  cut  off  from  the  Church.  On  June  21  he  pre- 
sented an  appeal,  stating  that  he  had  not  been  justly 
treated,  in  the  fact  that  he  had  been  tried  while  ab- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  51 

sent,  and,  in  consequence  of  *' confession''  and  ** re- 
pentance," was  */ restored."  Two  days  later,  how- 
ever, he  was  again  cut  off,  because,  as  stated,  he  had 
boasted  that  he  had  * 'deceived  Joseph  Smith's  God,  or 
the  spirit  by  which  he  is  actuated."  Whatever  may 
have  been  the  merits  of  the  case  on  either  side,  it  is 
certain  that  Hurlburt  was  anxious  to  remain  in  the 
Church,  but  was  forced  out  by  the  authorities  on 
charges  of  misconduct.  Such  a  circumstance,  of 
course,  to  use  a  legal  phrase,  *' establishes  a  motive" 
for  his  subsequent  doings.  What  more  probable  than 
that  he  should  **seek  revenge"?  This  seems  to  be 
the  leading  motive  with  all  ** Mormon"  apostates,  who 
seem  to  be  characterized  by  a  bitterness  against  their 
former  associations  that  is  fairly  '* in  a  class  by  itself." 
A  Doctored  Subjunctive. — In  view  of  the  matters 
discussed  above,  the  origin  of  the  Spaulding  author- 
ship story  might  seem  clear.  **Mormonism"  was  at 
this  time  making  a  considerable  stir  in  New  York  and 
Ohio  particularly,  and  the  *'Book  of  Mormon"  was 
being  industriously  circulated  among  the  people.  Un- 
doubtedly some  of  the  former  neighbors  and  asso- 
ciates of  Mr.  Spaulding  must  have  remembered  that 
he  had  written  a  romance  of  ancient  America,  and  the 
suggestion  would  have  been  natural  that  his  book, 
never  printed,  ** might  have  been  the  same"  as  this 
new  ** revelation."  The  lapse  from  the  subjunctive 
mood  to  the  indicative  is  easy  in  the  case  of  rumors 
in  rural  communities.  Consequently,  within  a  short 
time,  numerous  persons  might  be  found  willing  to 
state  that  the  two  books  were  certainly  the  same.  But, 
as  frequently  remarked,  rumor  travels  almost  as  fast 
as  it  grows  in  bulk.  The  professed  identification  of 
the  writings  of  Spaulding  coming  to  the  ears  of  such 
men  as  Hurlburt  and  Howe,  would  have  been  eagerly 
followed  up  by  them,  and  worked  to  the  limit.  How 
conclusive  were  their  ** demonstrations"  we  have  al- 
ready seen.  Hurlburt,  as  seems  established,  actually 
traced  the  widow  of  Solomon  Spaulding,  then  an  aged 


52        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

woman,  long  married  to  a  second  husband  named 
Davidson,  and  through  her  obtained  possession  of  a 
manuscript  story  of  Mr.  Spaulding,  which  was  re- 
covered fifty  years  later,  in  1884,  and  now  rests  in  the 
library  of  Oberlin  College,  Ohio.  This  manuscript 
bears  the  following  endorsement  on  the  outside  last 
sheet : 

"The  Writings  of  Sollomon  Spalding 

"Proved  by  Aron  Wright,  Oliver  Smith,  John  Miller  and 

others 

"The  testimonies  of  the  above  Gentlemen  are  now  in  my 

possession. 

"D.   P.   HUBLBUT." 

Spaulding 's  Real  Story.— This  apparently  well-ac- 
credited manuscript  of  Spaulding  contains  a  tale  that 
is  conspicuous  in  no  particular.  Its  spelling  is  ludi- 
crous in  some  places,  and  its  grammar  hardly  suggests 
an  educated  man.  These  things  may  indicate  a  grow- 
ing habit  of  carelessness  in  the  author,  but  they  cer- 
tainly show  the  confirmed  amateur  in  writing.  The 
date  of  the  story  may  be  fixed  by  the  circumstance 
that  it  professes  to  embody  the  translation  of  *' twenty- 
eight  sheets  of  parchment  .  .  .  manuscripts  written 
in  an  eligant  hand  with  Roman  Letters  &  in  the  Latin 
Language,"  professedly  found  in  *'a  cavity  within 
the  wall"  of  *'an  ancient  fort,"  ^^near  the  west  Bank 
of  the  Conneaught  River."  Spaulding  located  at 
Conneaut,  Ohio,  about  1808,  removing  thither,  ac- 
cording to  accepted  accounts  from  New  York  State. 
The  manuscript  is,  supposedly,  therefore,  of  a  date 
somewhat  later ;  about  1810,  probably,  as  stated  in  the 
''affidavits"  given  by  Howe.  This  story,  written,  ac- 
cording to  statements,  in  the  hope  of  yielding  funds 
to  pay  the  author's  debts,  is  certainly  his  ''first  ef- 
fort"— one  would  dislike  reading  anything  earlier 
and  worse  from  his  pen — and  gives  very  poor  promise 
of  improvement  as  a  story-teller,  or  originator  of 
readable  narrations,  since,  at  this  time,  Spaulding  was 
certainly  between  48  and  49  years  of  age;  quite  too 
old  "to  learn  a  new  trade."    The  construction  of  his 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  53 

plot,  indeed,  shows  very  unhopeful  signs  of  ability  to 
do  more  extended  work,  or  to  produce  any  writing  as 
elaborate  as  the  **Book  of  Mormon/'  He  was  evi- 
dently, also,  a  slow  and  laborious  writer,  constantly 
erasing  and  rewriting:  which  facts  show  that  this 
Oberlin  manuscript  was  his  ** first  draft/'  This  very 
opinion,  indeed,  is  expressed  by  L.  L.  Rice,  formerly 
state  printer  of  Ohio,  in  whose  possession  the  manu- 
script was  found  by  President  Fairchild  of  Oberlin. 
He  writes : 

"I  should  as  soon  think  the  Book  of  Revelation  was  writ- 
ten by  the  author  of  'Don  Quixote,'  as  that  the  writer  of 
this  manuscript  was  the  author  of  the  'Book  of  Mormon.' 
...  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  no  one  who  reads  this  manu- 
script will  give  credit  to  the  story  that  Solomon  Spaulding 
was  in  any  wise  the  author  of  the  'Book  of  Mormon.'  It  is 
unlikely  that  any  one  who  wrote  so  elaborate  a  work  as 
the  Mormon  Bible  would  spend  his  time  in  getting  up  so 
shallow  a  story  as  this,  which  at  best  is  but  a  feeble  imita- 
tion of  the  other." — From  Letter  to  Joseph  Smithy  3d.,  La- 
monif  Iowa  (1884). 

This  Book  Described  by  "Witnesses." — As  sug- 
gested above,  Hurlburt  probably  showed  the  manu- 
script obtained  from  Mrs.  Davidson  to  several  persons 
residing  in  Conneaut,  and,  as  he  states  on  his  endorse- 
ment, took  their  *  *  testimonies ' ' ;  probably  touching  its 
genuineness,  etc.  Whatever  they  may  have  said  in 
these  '* testimonies,"  it  is  certain,  as  indicated  above 
that  they  did  not  describe  the  contents  of  the  *'Book 
of  Mormon,"  which  has  no  history  of  the  '*Lost  Tribes 
of  Israel,"  etc.  These  ** doctored"  statements,  how- 
ever, actually  do  specify  the  contents  of  a  tale  closely 
like  that  given  in  the  * '  Manuscript  Found, ' '  recovered 
by  President  Fairchild.  Thus,  Spaulding 's  attested 
work  actually  describes  the  inhabitants  of  pre-Colum- 
bian America  as  **  separated  into  .  .  .  distinct  na- 
tions"— the  Kentucks,  Ohons,  and  Sciotans — which 
waged  ** cruel  and  bloody  wars."  Thus,  to  quote  from 
the  book  in  question;  giving  all  the  peculiarities  of 
spelling,  etc.,  as  in  the  original : 

"It  was  indeed  a  meloncolly  day. — ^The  contest  was  not  de- 


54        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOKMONISM 

sided — ^Neither  army  had  gained  a  victory  or  had  reason  to 
boast  of  any  superior  advantages  obtained  or  any  heroio 
atcheivments,  which  were  not  matched  by  contending  war- 
riors. An  emence  slaughter  was  made.  Near  one  hundred 
thousand  were  extended  brethless  on  the  field — This  was  only 
the  beginning  of  the  war — &  what  must  be  its  dreadful  calam- 
ities if  it  should  continue  to  rage — if  a  few  more  battles 
should  be  faught  &  the  infuriated  Conquerer  should  turn  his 
vengful  sword,  against  defenceless  women  &  children  &  min- 
gle their  blood  with  the  blood  of  heroes,  who  had  fallen 
bravely  fighting  in  their  defence.  When  both  armies  viewed 
the  emence  slaughter  that  had  been  made  of  their  respective 
friends — instead  of  cooling  their  ardor  for  the  war,  it  only 
served  to  encrease  their  malice  &  their  thirst  for  revenge." 
— Manuscript  Found,  p,  95. 

It  may  be  readily  seen  that  such,  a  war  as  this  must 
have  been  dreadful  indeed,  quite  worthy  to  be  de- 
scribed in  the  words  of  the  author's  *^ brother,"  as 
quoted  above.  It  takes  very  little  imagination,  how- 
ever, to  understand  how  thoroughly  one  must  need 
revise  such  a  story  as  this  to  make  it  of  distinctly 
** religious"  significance,  and  how  difficult  it  would  be 
for  one  to  recognize  it  after  the  alteration. 

Antiquities  Discussed. — In  another  particular 
Spaulding's  manuscript  answers  to  the  description 
given  in  several  of  Howe's  ** affidavits,"  wherein  it  is 
stated  that  the  book  heard  read  to  them  contained  an 
account  of  the  *'arts,  sciences  and  civilization,"  also 
'*a  satisfactory  account  of  all  the  old  mounds  so  com- 
mon in  this  country."  Immediately  following  the 
account  of  the  dreadful  battle,  just  quoted,  we  find 
that  the  surviving  soldiers  of  both  armies  buried  their 
dead  comrades  in  trenches  and  heaped  mounds  of 
earth  upon  them.  "We  find,  also,  that  out  of  the  thir- 
teen chapters  of  the  story,  chapters  3,  5,  6,  7,  9,  10, 
six  in  all,  are  principally  devoted  to  extensive  disqui- 
sitions, customs  of  natives,  * '  Discription  of  the  Learn- 
ing," religion,  military  arrangements,  amusements, 
money,  etc.  Such  long  chapters,  if  read  several  times 
to  any  one  person — ^providing  that  he  were  willing  to 
listen — must  have  left  strong  impressions  on  the  mind, 
of  the  author's  '' learning,"  if  no  more. 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  55 

Strange  Names  Galore. — In  regard  to  the  ''distinct 
recollections''  of  certain  names,  it  is  perfectly  possible 
to  account  for  that,  also.  Spaulding  uses  numerous 
strange  names,  some  classical — ^for  his  hero,  the  pro- 
fessed author  of  the  parchment  manuscript,  is  a 
Roman — some  fanciful.  Among  these  are:  Fabius, 
Crito,  Hadokam,  Bombal,  Hadoram,  Lobaska,  Ham- 
boon,  Moonrod,  Elseon,  Lamesa,  Hambock,  Drafolick, 
Habelon,  Ulipoon,  Labano,  Hamelick,  Hamelon,  Ta- 
boon,  Hamsien,  Kelsock,  Hamkoo,  etc.  It  is  probable 
that  such  a  rush  of  strangers  would  leave  an  impres- 
sion on  the  mind  of  the  average  listener  that  would 
enable  him  to  ** remember  distinctly,"  such  other  un- 
familiar names,  as  those  given  in  the  ''Book  of  Mor- 
mon,'' particularly  if  brought  to  his  attention  in  the 
form  of  direct  questions,  as  previously  suggested. 

What  Memory  Cannot  Do. — ^Nor  need  we  assume 
that  the  ''distinct  recollections"  of  the  phrase  "it 
came  to  pass"  is  in  any  other  category.  It  is,  in  fact, 
mere  fabrication.  The  supposition  that  a  man  who 
could  write  no  better  than  the  author  of  the  "Manu- 
script Found,"  should,  even  if  persisting  in  reading 
his  writings  to  complacent  neighbors,  be  able  to  create 
Buch  a  furore  in  a  rural  settlement  that  people  would 
remember  details  for  over  twenty  years  is  altogether 
too  preposterous  for  serious  consideration.  Let  any- 
one doubting  this  statement  try  for  himself  to  see  how 
clearly  he  can  remember  the  details  of  stories,  ser- 
mons, articles,  etc.,  read  by  him  or  to  him  twenty  years 
ago.  He  can  then  judge  of  the  reliability  of  these  al- 
leged "affidavits"  of  Howe  and  Hurlburt. 

An  Interveiw  with  E.  D.  Howe. — In  this  connec- 
tion it  will  be  interesting  to  repeat  a  conversation  be- 
tween Mr.  Howe  and  Edmund  L.  Kelley  of  Inde- 
pendence, Mo.,  held  in  the  summer  of  1883;  Mr. 
Kelley  being  the  questioner : 

"Q.  What  do  you  know  personally  about  the  'Book  of 
Mormon'  and  the  Spaulding  story  being  the  same? 

"Ai    I  don't  know  anything. 


56       THE  CASE  AGAINST .  MORMONISM 

"Q.  Why  did  you  publish  a  work  claiming  that  the  *Book 
of  Mormon'  was  the  Spaulding  romance? 

"A.  Because  I  could  better  believe  that  Spaulding  wrote 
it  than  that  Joe  Smith  saw  an  angel. 

"Q.     Are  those  your  grounds? 

"A.  Yes,  sir,  they  are;  and  I  want  you  to  understand  that 
you  can't  cram  the  *Book  of  Mormon'  down  me. 

"Q.     Do  you  swallow  the  Bible? 

"A.     That  is  my  business. 

"Q.  Have  you  not  published  a  pamphlet  which  does  not 
endorse  the  Bible? 

"A.     Yes,  I  ha,ye."—'Braden  and  Kelley  Delate  ( 1884) ,  p.  83. 

What  Spaulding 's  Daughter  Said. — The  same  in- 
terviewer also  reports  a  conversation  with  Mrs. 
Martha  McKinstry,  a  daughter  of  Solomon  Spaulding, 
then  an  aged  woman  residing  in  "Washington,  D.  C, 
which  took  place,  he  states,  on  April  4,  1882. 

*'Q.  When  did  you  first  think  about  the  names  in  the 
*Book  of  Mormon'  and  the  manuscript  agreeing? 

"A.  My  attention  was  first  called  to  it  by  some  parties 
who  asked  me  if  I  did  not  remember  it,  and  then  I  remembered 
that  they  were." — Ihid.,  p.  82. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  *' parties''  questioning 
this  lady — and  others — did  not  have  a  larger  supply 
of  **Book  of  Mormon"  names  to  ^* recall  to  her  mind." 

An  Expert  Opinion. — In  spite  of  all  these  facts  and 
considerations,  of  which  our  author  says  nothing,  and 
has  evidently  made  no  account,  he  states  as  follows : 

"Several  witnesses,  shortly  after  the  appearance  of  the 
*Book  of  Mormon,'  affirmed,  in  the  most  explicit  terms,  that 
the  Spaulding  story  to  which  they  had  listened  had  this  pe- 
culiar cast  (i.e.  the  voyagers  were  represented  as  starting 
from  Jerusalem).  Moreover,  the  testimony  of  the  brother  of 
Solomon  Spaulding,  of  his  business  partner,  and  of  several 
others  assures  us  that  the  story  in  this  form  represented  the 
voyagers  to  America  as  being  Jews  and  as  starting  from  Jeru- 
salem. Herein  it  corroborates  the  statement  of  Howe,  who 
says  that  the  Oberlin  manuscript  was  shown  to  several  of 
the  witnesses  whom  he  cites  and  was  characterized  by  them 
as  the  earlier  and  discarded  form  of  the  Spaulding  romance. 
[Reference  here  to  Howe,  p.  288.]  It  is  utterly  vain,  there- 
fore, for  Mormon  apologists,  as  they  have  been  wont  to  do, 
to  plead  the  unlikeness  of  the  Oberlin  writing  to  the  'Book 
of  Mormon'  as  disproving  the  obligations  of  Joseph  Smith  to 
Spaulding's  manuscript.    It  affords  not  the  slightest  instal- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  57 

ment  of  a  disproof  of  substantial  obligations.  The  most  that 
could  be  alleged  would  be  that  its  style  is  in  contrast  with 
that  of  the  'Book  of  Mormon.'  The  contrast,  however,  may 
be  explained  by  the  twofold  fact  that  Spaulding  in  the  later 
version  of  his  story  wrote  of  set  purpose  in  a  peculiar  style, 
and  that  Joseph  Smith,  in  working  over  the  materials  fur- 
nished by  Spaulding,  conformed  them  to  a  very  appreciable 
degree  to  his  own  habits  of  expression." 

With  all  respect  for  the  attainments  of  our  author, 
it  must  be  protested  that  this  line  of  argument  is  not 
** explanation'*  at  all,  but  *' special  pleading''  pure 
and  simple.  The  point  at  issue  is  not  as  to  whether 
Spaulding  wrote  the  **  groundwork"  of  the  book,  but 
as  to  whether,  after  Joseph  Smith  had  * '  worked  it 
over"  and  ** conformed"  it  **to  his  own  habits  of  ex- 
pression," it  is  credible  that  a  lot  of  unlearned  and 
uncritically-minded  people,  who  had  neither  seen, 
heard  nor  heard  of  the  original  for  over  twenty  years 
are  to  be  allowed  to  persuade  the  public  that  they  are 
able,  nevertheless,  to  ** recognize"  the  work  of  Spauld- 
ing **from  beginning  to  end."  In  forming  a  judg- 
ment on  this  point  we  must  not  forget  that  the  whole 
theory  of  the  Spaulding  authorship  of  the  **Book  of 
Mormon"  is  founded  upon  the  alleged  ** testimonies" 
of  such  people,  and  that  there  is  not  a  line  of  evidence, 
apart  from  them,  that  is  worth  considering.  Our  anti- 
Mormon  friends  are  going  **very  far  afield,"  merely  to 
enjoy  the  pleasure  of  calling  Mr.  Smith  a  plagiarist 
and  ** impostor." 

The  '* Deadly  Parallel."— The  decision  of  the  mat- 
ter does  not  rest,  however,  upon  the  ** testimonies"  of 
long-memoried  ** neighbors,"  nor  yet  upon  the  dog- 
matic deliverances  of  '* experts."  Joseph  Smith  left 
other  writings,  which,  as  previously  stated,  show 
notable  points  of  resemblance  in  style  with  the  *  *  Book 
of  Mormon."  The  matter  may  be  judged  by  giving 
three  extracts  of  similar  occurrences,  as  found  (1)  in 
the  **Book  of  Mormon";  (2)  in  the  *' Inspired  Trans- 
lation" of  Genesis,  or  the  Book  of  Moses,  as  the  **  Mor- 
mons" have  it;  (3)  in  the  ** Manuscript  Found,"  now 
in  Oberlin  College  Library.    They  are  as  follows: 


58        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 


Then  Jared  said 
unto  his  brother,  Cry 
again  unto  the  Lord, 
and  it  may  be  that 
he  will  turn  away 
his  anger  from  them 
who  are  our  friends, 
that  he  confound  not 
their  language.  And 
it  came  to  pass  that 
the  brother  of  Jared 
did  cry  unto  the 
Lord,  and  the  Lord 
had  compassion  upon 
their  friends,  and 
their  families  also, 
and  they  were  not 
confounded.  .  .  .  And 
it  came  to  pass  that 
the  Lord  did  hear 
the  brother  of  Jared, 
and  had  compassion 
upon  him,  and  said 
unto  him,  Go  to  and 
gather  together  thy 
flocks,  both  male  and 
female,  of  every 
kind;  and  also  of  the 
seed  of  the  earth  of 
every  kind,  and  thy 
families;  and  also 
Jared  thy  brother 
and  his  family;  and 
also  thy  friends,  and 
their  families,  and 
the  friends  of  Jared 
and  their  families. 
And  when  thou  hast 
done  this,  thou  shalt 
go  at  the  head  of 
them  down  into  the 
valley,  which  is 
northward.  And  there 
will  I  meet  thee,  and 
I  will  go  before  thee 
into  a  land  which  ia 
choice  above  all  the 
land  of  the  earth. — 
Ether  i.  35,  40-42. 


And  from  that 
time  forth  Enoch  be- 
gan to  prophesy,  say- 
ing unto  the  people 
that:  As  I  was  jour- 
neying, and  stood 
upon  the  place  Ma- 
hujah,  and  cried  un- 
to the  Lord,  there 
came  a  voice  out  of 
heaven,  saying  — 
Turn  ye,  and  get  ye 
upon  the  mount 
Simeon.  And  it  came 
to  pass  that  I  turned 
and  went  up  on  the 
mount;  and  as  I 
stood  upon  the 
mount,  I  beheld  the 
heavens  open,  and  I 
was  clothed  upon 
with  glory;  .  .  .  And 
the  Lord  said  unto 
me :  Prophesy ;  and 
I  prophesied,  saying: 
Behold  the  people  of 
Canaan,  which  are 
numerous,  shall  go 
forth  in  battle  array 
against  the  people  of 
Shum,  and  they  shall 
slay  them  that  they 
shall  utterly  be  de- 
stroyed; and  the  peo- 
ple of  Canaan  shall 
divide  themselves  in 
the  land,  and  none 
other  people  shall 
dwell  there  but  th© 
people  of  Canaan. — 
Moses  vii.  2-3,  7. 
{Gen.  vii.  2-3,  7-9, 
"Inspired  Transla- 
tion"), 


The  Citizens  at- 
tended. It  was  a 
prodigious  concourse 
of  all  classes,  of  all 
descriptions,  both 
wise  and  simple,  both 
male  and  female. — 
They  surrounded  the 
stage  and  were  all 
attention,  all  anxious 
to  learn  the  hidden 
decrees  of  Heaven, 
and  the  future  des- 
tinies of  the  empire. 
Drafolick  their  chief 
prophet  extended  his 
arms  and  cast  up  his 
eyes  toward  Heaven. 
— Quoth  he — Heaven 
unfolds  her  massy 
gates  and  opens  to 
my  view  a  prospect, 
wide  and  vast — The 
seven  sons  of  the 
great  Spirit  seize 
their  glittering 
swords  and  swear 
they  shall  not  be 
sheathed  till  blood 
in  torrents  run  and 
deluge  the  fair  land 
of  Kentuck.  I  be- 
hold enemies  mar- 
tialing  on  the  celes- 
tial plain — and  hear 
warriors  and  heroes 
cry  —  avenge  the 
crime  of  Elseon — I 
hear  a  thundering 
voice  proceeding 
from  the  great 
Throne  of  him  who 
rules  the  world — 
proclaiming  thus — 
corn  shall  not  grow 
on  Sciotan  fields,  nor 
mamouth  yield  their 
milk — nor  fish  be 
taken  in  the  snare 
but  pestilence  shall 
roam — unless  Sciota 
shall  avenge  the 
crime  of  Elseon. — 
Manuscript  Found, 
p.  75. 

From  the  standpoint  of  literary  criticism,  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  argue  that  the  author  of  the  mat- 
ter in  the  third  column  would  scarcely  be  credited 
with  writing  that  in  the  first ;  whereas  the  resemblances 
in  style  between  the  first  and  the  second — the  latter 
the  admitted  work  of  Joseph  Smith — are  too  marked 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  59 

not  to  excite  comment.  In  spite  of  the  numerous  ex- 
amples of  defective  grammar  and  diction  to  be  found 
in  the  ^'Book  of  Mormon,"  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
the  author,  transcriber  or  **  translator, ' '  possessed  a 
far  higher  degree  of  literary  ability  than  Solomon 
Spaulding  shows  in  his  only  accredited  effort.  Nor  is 
it  a  presumption  on  facts  to  claim  that,  had  an  author 
of  such  literary  ability — be  that  ability  largely  **  unde- 
veloped," if  you  will — ^worked  over  the  writings  of  a 
man  writing  such  things  as  are  found  in  the  third 
column,  he  must  have  disguised  it  so  effectually  as  to 
have  made  it,  in  fact,  a  new  book;  also,  that  practiced 
literary  critics  might  be  deceived,  let  alone  unlearned 
''deponents"  of  the  variety  summoned  by  Howe. 

A  DiflSdent  Suggestion. — ^We  might  judge  that  our 
learned  author  was  fully  alive  to  the  conclusions 
drawn  in  the  last  paragraph,  in  the  fact  that  he  modi- 
fies the  usual  confident  statement  of  Spauldingite 
writers  in  the  following  words: 

"It  amounts,  we  judge,  to  a  historical  demonstration  that 
the  manuscript  story  of  Solomon  Spaulding  served  as  an  ante- 
cedent and  groundwork  of  the  *Book  of  Mormon.'  Consider- 
able liberty  may  have  been  used  by  Joseph  Smith,  or  by  his 
accomplice,  or  both,  in  modifying  details  and  introducing  sup- 
plementary materials,  but  that  the  general  framework  and 
wide  stretches  of  the  subject-matter  of  the  'Book  of  Mormon* 
were  borrowed  from  Spaulding  is  not  open  to  reasonable 
doubt." 

Reasonable  Doubts. — ^We  may  judge  of  the  ''rea- 
sonableness" of  the  doubt  from  the  examinations  pre- 
viously made  of  the  Howe  ** affidavits."  We  conclude 
that  the  Doctor  is  not  basing  his  conclusions  on  **  rea- 
son," but  rather  on  a  ** childlike  faith"  in  the  impec- 
cability of  Howe  and  the  accuracy  of  the  **  recollec- 
tions" of  his  several  ''deponents."  Of  course,  even 
honest  people  may  be  made  to  say  anything  under 
heaven,  if  only  we  have  their  written  statements  be- 
fore us,  and,  also,  the  time  to  "edit  them  into  shape." 
However,  our  author  proceeds,  as  follows : 

''This  conclusion  holds  whether  or  not  any  reliable  evidence 


60       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

is  at  hand  as  to  the  medium  through  which  Joseph  Smith  was 
brought  into  possession  of  the  Spaulding  manuscript,  or 
enabled  to  use  its  contents  very  largely  in  shaping  the  'Book 
of  Mormon.'  As  other  noted  crimes  have  gone  imdetected,  so 
might  a  carefully  concealed  theft  in  this  connection.  But,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  there  is  evidence  as  to  the  medium  in  ques- 
tion, which,  if  not  demonstrative,  affords  a  basis  for  a  thor- 
oughly probable  inference.  A  sufficient  list  of  data  points  to 
Sidney  Rigdon  as  the  man  who  helped  Joseph  Smith,  by  sup- 
plying him  with  the  highly  imaginative  story  of  Spaulding, 
to  pass  on  from  his  empty  bluff  about  a  Golden  Bible  to  an 
appearance  of  a  real  discovery." 

The  Coming  of  Sidney  Rigdon.— We  then  behold 
the  resurrection  of  the  old  yarn  about  the  theft  of  the 
manuscript  from  the  printing  olBce  of  one  Patterson 
in  Pittsburgh,  where  Mr.  Rigdon,  intimate  as  alleged, 
with  one  Lambdin,  a  partner,  employee  or  friend  of 
the  proprietor,  had  sufficiently  free  access  to  copy  or 
purloin  the  precious  literary  treasure.  If  any  such 
theft  really  occurred,  it  was  most  probably  between 
the  years  1812  and  1816,  when  Rigdon,  born  in  1793, 
was  between  19  and  23  years  of  age.  He  was  rather 
young  to  conceive  a  plot  to  make  this  book  the  basis  of 
an  alleged  *^ revelation,"  and,  as  one  might  suppose — 
and  our  author  draws  numerous  'inferences" — ^was 
sufficiently  honest  to  wait  for  the  printing  and  pub- 
lishing of  the  manuscript,  in  order  to  read  it  at  his 
leisure.  He  must  be  made  to  steal  it,  however,  since, 
under  other  conditions,  the  ** crime"  would  not  seem 
sufficiently  aggravated.  At  any  rate,  another  line  of 
** affidavits"  is  presented  by  numerous  inconspicuous 
persons  stating  that  Rigdon  had  had,  or  had  shown 
them  some  manuscript,  or  had  stated  that  some  book 
was  to  appear  about  ancient  America,  which  would 
''make  a  stir,"  etc.  Some  one  must  have  been  ex- 
tremely industrious,  or  extremely  fortunate  in  his 
searches  to  unearth  so  many  accusers  of  Mr.  Rigdon. 
Nor  is  there  any  reason  for  accepting  these  "affi- 
davits," in  view  of  the  evident  "editing"  done  to 
those  on  the  Spaulding  authorship  matter.  Our  au- 
thor, however,  quotes  this: 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  61 

''Mrs.  Amos  Dunlap  [every  one  knows  who  she  was]  in 
1826-27,  while  visiting  at  the  house  of  Rigdon,  saw  him  read- 
ing a  manuscript  which  he  was  accustomed  to  keep  locked  up 
in  a  trunk,  and  heard  him  say,  in  response  to  the  impatient 
remark  of  his  wife  that  she  would  like  to  burn  the  thing  up, 
*It  will  be  a  great  thing  some  day.*  There  is  no  reason  for 
supposing  that  this  was  other  than  the  manuscript  which 
Dr.  Winter  saw  in  Rigdon's  study  several  years  before." 

As  may  be  remarked,  also,  there  is  no  reason  what- 
ever for  supposing  it  was  the  same,  or  for  making  any 
supposition  regarding  it.  Such  ** affidavits''  as  this 
establish  nothing. 

The  '* Mysterious  Stranger."— The  question  of  Rig- 
don's  possession  of  this,  or  some  other,  manuscript  is, 
however,  a  minor  matter  beside  that  referring  to  the 
manner  in  which  it  came  into  the  possession  of  Joseph 
Smith,  to  be  edited,  **  translated, "  transcribed,  and 
finally  printed  and  published  with  his  name  on  the 
title-page  as  *' author  and  proprietor."  This  is,  in- 
deed, the  weakest  link  in  the  entire  chain  of  allegations 
made  in  regard  to  the  ** history"  of  this  famous  hypo- 
thetical screed  of  Spaulding's.  It  is,  however,  a  nec- 
essary stage  of  the  argument  for  anti-Mormon  writers, 
because  it  is  supported  by  the  same  kind  of  absurd 
and  gossiping  ** affidavits"  as  are  alleged  for  all  the 
supposed  doings  of  Smith,  Rigdon,  Spaulding,  and 
others.  Thus,  as  specified  by  ** affidavits"  presented 
by  Tucker,  who  knew  all  about  Smith,  a  **  mysterious 
stranger"  begins  calling  on  him  about  two  years  before 
the  appearance  of  the  **Book  of  Mormon"  in  print; 
and,  as  argued,  this  person  could  be  no  other  than 
Rigdon  come  to  discuss  the  details  of  the  great  project. 
Numerous  **old  neighbors"  come  forward,  of  course, 
identifying  Rigdon  with  this  *' mysterious  stranger," 
and  their  ** testimony"  is  accepted,  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  we  have  only  Tucker's  word  for  it  that  any  of 
them  ever  existed.  And  none  of  them  explains  how 
it  was  that  Rigdon  was  recognized  or  identified,  which 
one  would  suppose  was  desirable,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  he  resided  at  a  place  over  200  miles  from  Palmyra, 


62       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

and  was  not  a  man  of  international  reputation,  not 
even  a  dispenser  of  patent  medicines,  who  distributed 
almanacs  with  his  portrait  in  every  copy.  Never- 
theless, neighbors  of  Eigdon  also  testify  that,  at  about 
this  period,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  leaving  home  for 
weeks  at  a  time,  *  Agoing  no  one  knew  where."  Mr. 
Smith  entertains  callers  whose  identity  he  decliQes  to 
divulge  to  his  curious  neighbors — forthwith,  they  be- 
come ** mysterious  strangers";  Mr.  Rigdon  is  seized 
with  a  Wanderlust  every  now  and  then,  and  his  family 
professes  ignorance  of  his  whereabouts.  What  more 
perfectly  evident  than  that  Rigdon  was  the  great  un- 
known who  called  at  Smith's  residence? 

How  Rigdon  Found  a  Publisher. — And  for  what 
purpose  did  Mr.  Rigdon,  on  frequent  occasions,  visit 
Mr.  Smith,  who  resided  several  days'  journey  from  his 
own  home  ?  The  answer  given  is  that  he  wished  him 
to  '* undertake  the  publication"  of  the  manuscript, 
which,  as  he  is  represented  as  having  stated,  would  be 
**a  great  thing  some  day."  In  other  words,  having 
no  confidence  in  the  ordinary  publisher,  and  knowing 
how  easily  precious  manuscripts  may  be  purloined 
from  printing  offices,  he  seeks  out  a  gentleman  known 
to  his  neighbors  as  possessing  an  *  *  indolent  and  vaga- 
bondish  character"  and  ''habits  of  exaggeration  and 
untruthfulness";  who  was  a  member  of  a  family  of 
''shiftless  and  untrustworthy"  people;  who  practiced 
"peepstone  impostures,"  and,  as  we  may  judge  from 
his  neighbors'  remarks,  was  ignorant  to  the  verge  of 
imbecility.  And  Mr.  Rigdon  traveled  200  miles  to 
find  a  man  like  this !  As  our  author  remarks  in  an- 
other connection,  "all  these  things  fall  into  one  con- 
tinuous series."  The  foolish  young  man  who,  accord- 
ing to  a  certain  Ingersoll,  gathers  quarts  of  useless 

sand,  and  who  speaks  of  his  parents  as ' '  d d  fools, ' ' 

finds  a  firm  friend  and  benefactor  in  an  older  and 
even  bigger  fool  than  himself,  a  man  to  whom  distance 
is  no  obstacle,  and  who  must  have  sought  for  printers 
with  a  ' '  peepstone. ' '    Of  course,  in  order  to  avoid  this 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  63 

preposterous  conclusion,  one  must  reject  the  *' affi- 
davits" quoted  to  establish  Rigdon's  theft  of  the  manu- 
script, and  those  alleging  that  he  had  it  in  his  pos- 
session. But  this  involves  suspicion  on  all  the 
*' affidavits''  given  by  Howe  and  Tucker,  and  the 
dreadful  admission  that  Smith  may  have  told  tiie 
truth  in  some  particulars. 

The  Penalty  of  'Plagiarism/'— But  Rigdon's 
feverish  anxiety  to  get  his  manuscript  into  print  not 
only  sends  him  into  the  wilderness,  and  into  the  arms 
of  a  man  reputed  to  have  ** practiced  impostures," 
but,  quite  unnecessarily,  entails  his  own  humiliation, 
as  alleged,  and  his  subordination  in  dignity  to  the  man 
whose  fortune  he  is  represented  as  creating.  A  certain 
recent  anti-Mormon  writer  has  supposed  that  Rig- 
don's  motives  for  recasting  the  Spaulding  manuscript 
into  the  *'Book  of  Mormon,"  and  inciting  Joseph 
Smith  to  ** undertake  its  publication,"  was  his  desire 
to  *'get  even"  with  the  Campbell  brothers,  founders 
of  the  Disciples'  denomination,  with  whom  he  had  had 
a  serious  disagreement.  [A  dreadful  revenge  in- 
deed!] Commenting  on  this  line  of  argument,  Prof. 
N.  L.  Nelson  says : 

"But  now  come  two  difficulties.  The  first  is  that  Rigdon, 
whose  motive  for  theft  and  forgery  was  to  get  even  with 
the  CampbeUs  for  robbing  him  of  glory,  consents  neverthe- 
less to  play  second  fiddle  to  Joseph  Smith  and  to  be  'snubbed 
and  ill-treated'  by  the  very  tool  of  his  successful  villainy. 
Mr.  Linn  sees  in  the  latter  fact  some  deep  mysterious  power 
which  the  yoimger  man  exercised  over  the  older — quite  in 
the  dime  novel  fashion.  The  other  difficulty  is  the  very  con-^, 
sistent,  logical,  imdeviating  accoimt  by  Joseph  Smith  of  each 
successive  event  in  the  coming-forth  of  the  *Book  of  Mormon.' 
But  this  narrative,  Mr.  Linn  points  out,  was  not  written  till 
1838,  ten  years  after  the  translation  of  the  *Book  of  Mormon,' 
and  seven  years  after  Sidney  Rigdon  joined  the  Church — time 
enough  for  the  arch-plotter  Rigdon  to  make  the  invention 
smooth  and  plausible!" — The  Mormon  Point  of  View,  pp. 
161-162. 

** Prometheus  Bound''  Again. — The  reason  why 
Eigdon,  as  supposed,  did  not  rebel  at  the  **  ill-treat- 
ment," and  **give  the  whole  thing  away,"  is  thus 


64       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

stated  by  Linn,  and  restated  by  the  scholarly  author 
Tinder  discussion : 

"The  former  [Rigdon]  was  shown  considerable  deference  and 
in  various  relations  was  treated  as  only  second  to  Smith. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  subjected  to  such  humiliations 
as  a  high-spirited  man  could  scarcely  have  endured  who  was 
not  rendered  comparatively  helpless  by  consciousness  of  com- 
plicity in  fraud.  So  Linn  argues  with  a  good  show  of  reason. 
'The  iron  hand,'  he  says,  'with  which  Smith  repressed  Rigdon 
from  the  date  of  their  arrival  in  Ohio  affords  strong  proof 
of  Rigdon's  complicity  in  the  Bible  plot,  and  of  the  fact  that 
he  stood  to  his  accomplice  in  the  relation  of  a  burglar  to 
his  mate,  where  the  burglar  has  both  the  boodle  and  the 
secret  in  his  possession/" 

There  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  fact  that  Rigdon, 
in  spite  of  his  abilities  as  a  preacher  and  writer,  was 
a  constant  source  of  trouble  to  Smith — though  whether 
this  be  due  to  his  ** humiliation"  or  not  is  not  so  clear. 
To  adopt  the  line  of  argument,  however,  that  is  given 
in  the  foregoing  quotation,  is  very  absurd.  Linn's 
simile  is  extremely  far  fetched.  If  the  two  men  had 
actually  been  engaged  in  house-breaking  or  other 
crime  before  the  law,  it  might  be  reasonable;  but, 
when  Rigdon's  apostasy  and  betrayal  of  the  alleged 
**plot"  would  have  accomplished  the  injury  of  a  man, 
Joseph  Smith,  already  detested  by  the  religious  com- 
munity— ^who  **  hated  him  yet  the  more  because  of  his 
dreams'' — the  conclusion  is  unescapable  that  he,  Rig- 
don, would  have  been  perfectly  safe  from  all  danger 
of  prosecution, — ^for  he  had  done  nothing  of  which  the 
law  could  take  account — would  be  welcomed,  even,  as 
a  public  benefactor.  Rigdon  was  certainly  clever 
enough  to  have  stated  the  '*case"  in  such  a  way  as 
to  have  thrown  all  the  blame  on  his  '*  accomplice, " 
while  himself  enjoying  the  reputation  for  simple 
*' truth-telling"  so  long  the  quiet  possession  of  the 
Hurlburts,  Howes,  Tuckers,  Stenhouses,  and  others, 
who  have  written  so  much  that  would  have  **  corrobo- 
rated" his  assertions.  The  '* reasons"  given  for  Rig- 
don's '* silence"  are  exceeded  in  stupidity  only  by 
those  given  for  his  original  *' complicity."    Both  con- 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  65 

stitute  together  a  thoroughbred  reductio  ad  absurdum 
for  the  entire  Howe-Tucker-Spaulding  theory. 

Rigdon  in  Rebuttal. — In  spite  of  the  ''strong 
proofs''  and  specious  arguments  ''with  a  good  show 
of  reason,"  the  fact  remains  that  Rigdon  did  not 
secede  from  the  Mormon  Church  until  a  very  late 
date;  and  that  he  never  made  a  "confession''  of  any 
description.  Although,  however,  the  people  who 
eagerly  accept  the  silly  slanders  of  the  Ingersolls  and 
the  absurd  "affidavits"  of  the  Spaulding  coterie  would 
credit  nothing  said  by  Rigdon  himself,  in  his  own  de- 
fense, it  may  be  in  place  to  quote  from  a  document 
whose  genuineness  may  be  proved  or  disproved,  even 
at  this  day.  As  related  by  several  writers,  Rigdon 's 
son,  John  W.  Rigdon — a  person  no  more  evidently 
"mythical"  than  Brother  John  Spaulding — visited 
Utah  in  1863.  After  spending  about  a  year  in  the 
Territory,  he  returned  home,  and  had  an  interview 
with  his  father,  which  he  embodied  in  a  biography  of 
him,  now  in  the  archives  of  the  Church  Historian's 
office,  in  Salt  Lake  City.  This  interview  is,  in  part, 
as  follows : 

"I  said  to  him  [Sidney  Rigdon]  that  what  I  had  seen  at 
Salt  Lake  had  not  impressed  me  very  favorably  toward  the 
Mormon  Church,  and  as  to  the  origin  of  the  *6ook  of  Mor- 
mon' I  had  some  doubts.  You  have  been  charged  with  writ- 
ing that  book  and  giving  it  to  Joseph  Smith  to  introduce  to 
the  world.  You  have  always  told  me  one  story;  that  you 
never  saw  the  book  until  it  was  presented  to  you  by  Parley 
P.  Pratt  and  Oliver  Cowdery;  and  all  you  ever  knew  of  the 
origin  of  that  book  was  what  they  told  you  and  what  Joseph 
Smith  and  the  witnesses  who  claimed  to  have  seen  the  plates 
told  you.  Is  this  true?  If  so,  all  right;  if  it  is  not,  you 
owe  it  to  me  and  to  your  family  to  tell  it.  You  are  an  old 
man  and  you  will  soon  pass  away,  and  I  wish  to  know  if 
Joseph  Smith,  in  your  intimacy  with  him  for  fourteen  years, 
has  not  said  something  to  you  that  led  you  to  believe  he 
obtained  that  book  in  some  other  way  than  what  he  had  told 
you.  Give  me  all  you  know  about  it,  that  I  may  know  the 
truth.  My  father,  after  I  had  finished  saying  what  I  have 
repeated  above,  looked  at  me  a  moment,  raised  his  hand 
above  his  head  and  slowly  said,  with  tears  glistening  in  his 
eyes:     *My  son,  I  can  swear  before  high  heaven  that  what 


66       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

I  have  told  you  about  the  origin  of  that  book  is  true.  Your 
mother  and  sister,  Mrs.  Athalia  Robinson,  were  present  when 
that  book  was  handed  to  me  in  Mentor,  Ohio,  and  all  I  ever 
knew  about  the  origin  of  that  book  was  what  Parley  P.  Pratt, 
Oliver  Cowdery,  Joseph  Smith  and  the  witnesses  who  claimed 
they  saw  the  plates  have  told  me,  and  in  all  my  intimacy 
with  Joseph  Smith  he  never  told  me  but  the  one  story,  and 
that  was  that  he  found  it  engraved  upon  gold  plates  in  a 
hill  near  Palmyra,  New  York,  and  that  an  angel  had  appeared 
to  him  and  directed  him  where  to  find  it:  and  that  I  now 
repeat  to  you.'  I  believed  him,  and  now  believe  he  told  me 
the  truth.  He  also  said  to  me  after  that  that  Mormonism 
was  true;  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a  Prophet,  and  this  world 
would  find  it  out  some  dsij"— Quoted  in  Koherts*  New  Wit- 
ness for  God. 

The  ''Missing  Link/'— In  the  development  of  the 
theory  of  Rigdon's  ''complicity  in  the  Bible  plot/' 
which  rational  people  are  urged  to  accept,  the  ques- 
tion naturally  arises  as  to  how  Rigdon  first  became 
acquainted  with  Smith,  in  order  to  assist  him  '*in 
making  good  his  empty  boast."  Some  writers  have 
suggested  that  the  two  were  brought  together  by 
Parley  P.  Pratt,  who,  as  represented,  ''met  Smith  in 
the  course  of  his  wanderings  over  New  York  State,'' 
and  recognized  him  as  "good  prophetical  timber." 
Mr.  Pratt,  according  to  this  theory,  is  represented  as 
having  been  at  one  time  a  peddler,  which  fact  should, 
supposedly,  render  him  still  more  odious  in  the  eyes 
of  the  democratic  American  public.  [It  may  be  that 
he  dealt  in  hazel  rods  for  "water-witching,"  which, 
as  we  hear,  are  still  manufactured  and  sold  in  large 
quantities  by  some  tariff-protected  concerns  in  our 
country.]  Attracted,  perhaps,  by  Smith's  "bad  repu- 
tation" among  his  neighbors — on  the  principle,  "woe 
unto  you  when  all  men  speak  well  of  you" — he  intro- 
duces him  to  Eigdon,  who  was  also,  as  we  are  in- 
formed, a  "thorn,  in  the  flesh"  to  his  associates.  It 
is  in  place  to  ask,  however,  why  it  is  that  Pratt  him- 
self, an  "accomplice"  according  to  this  theory,  did 
not  essay  the  role  of  "prophet."  By  personality  and 
innate  abilities  he  was  eminently  fitted  to  be  a  leader 
of   men — ^particularly    a.   religious   leader — and   his 


MORMON  HISTORY  ANALYZED  67 

faithful  advocacy  of  the  teachings  of  '^Mormonism," 
even  to  the  date  of  his  death,  when  he  was  murdered 
out  of  revenge  for  a  crime  of  which  a  jury  had  al- 
ready acquitted  him,  shows  that  he  would  have  car- 
ried out  the  character  to  the  end.  [Remember  that 
he  is  accused  of  having  been  in  the  **plot''  all  this 
time.]  But  he,  like  Rigdon  himself,  was  also  sub- 
ordinated to  another  man,  and  made  an  earnest  con- 
tributor to  that  other's  reputation. 

The  Reasonable  Verdict. — The  unescapable  con- 
clusion is  that  the  origin  of  the  **Book  of  Mormon," 
and  its  *  *  coming-f  orth, "  were  with  the  man  Joseph 
Smith,  and  that  we  have  no  evidence  worth  consider- 
ing that  it  came  from  any  other  person — in  the  world 
of  humanity,  at  least — or  any  other  ** explanation"  of 
it  than  that  which  he  himself  has  left  us.  His  repre- 
sentations may  be  untrue,  but  we  have  only  theories 
to  oppose  to  them;  and  no  ** demonstrations"  that 
amount  even  to  presumption  of  truth.  Various  per- 
sons have  accused  him  of  worthlessness  of  character, 
and  ignorance  of  the  densest  description;  but  he  ap-o| 
peared  before  the  world  as  a  real  leader  of  men,  an  ^ 
eminent  executive,  and  a  forceful  thinker.  Lame 
theories  have  been  invented  and  passionately  advo- 
cated to  show  that  some  inconspicuous  scribbler,  or 
other  ** wrote  the  *Book  of  Mormon,'  "  but  Smith's 
accredited  writings  quite  equal  anything  in  the  Book 
under  discussion.  Finally,  his  own  knowledge  of  the 
Bible,  and  his  constant  ability  to  point  his  teachings 
from  Scripture,  show  that  he  needed  no  assistance  in 
adding  any  ** religious  matter"  to  some  original  hypo- 
thetical groundwork  of  a  story.  It  would  be  an  act 
decidedly  worthy  of  ** gifted  writers"  of  Methodist 
and  other  connections  to  discover  the  fact  that  Joseph 
Smith  must  be  to  the  intelligent  critic,  in  the  words 
of  Mr.  Quincy,  **not  a  rogue  to  be  criminated,  but  a 
phenomenon  to  be  explained,"  both  personally  and 
historically. 


CHAPTER  TWO 
THE  ''CRITICAL  TEST''  CRITICIZED 

Critical,  Uncritical  or  Hypercritical? — Sheldon's 
so-called  ''critical  test"  is  of  the  same  character  as 
his  "historical."  It  is  hypercritical  in  its  treatment 
of  the  opinions  and  beliefs  which  he  opposes,  and  ex- 
ceedingly uncriticsil,  in  the  discussion  of  matters  on 
the  opposite  side. 

"A  False  and  Arbitrary  Setting."— The  first  "ar- 
gument" against  the  character  claimed  for  the  "Book 
of  Mormon"  is  that  "things  pertaining  to  the  scien- 
tific and  natural  order  are  given  a  false  and  arbitrary 
setting"  (p.  49).  He  then  proceeds  to  catalogue 
such  facts  as  a  "mariner's  compass"  (liahona) 
"brought  into  service  six  hundred  years  before 
Christ, ' '  utterly  ignoring  the  fact  that  the  instrument 
described  in  the  text  is  not  a  compass  at  all,  but  some 
kind  of  means  for  indicating  the  direction  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  the  Pilgrims,  an  instrument,  as  represented, 
given  to  them  by  God  Himself,  and  performing  a 
function  no  more  incredible  than  that  performed  by 
the  "pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  of  fire  by  night"  that 
preceded  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness.  (This  latter 
account  was  firmly  believed  by  all  Methodists,  and 
other  professing  Christians  of  a  generation  ago,  but 
has  been  largely  criticized  and  ridiculed  by  later 
"scholarship,"  along  with  Jonah's  "whale"  and 
other  "unscientific"  beliefs.)  Even  if  the  account  be 
held  to  represent  a  true  compass,  the  alleged  ' '  anach- 
ronism" is  by  no  means  established,  since  no  one 
knows  when  or  by  whom  the  instrument  was  invented, 
or  whether  it  was  used  by  some  people  2,500  years  ago, 

^8 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       69 

or  not.  In  considering  his  '* objection"  that  the 
*  *  Copernician  theory  is  represented  as  being  an  estab- 
lished truth,"  when  everyone  believed  in  a  geocentric 
universe,  it  seems  hardly  necessary  to  say  more  than 
to  remark  that  the  Bible  itself  does  not  seem  to  be 
pledged  to  the  ** Ptolemaic"  theory,  except  in  the  use 
of  popular  language  about  the  ^* rising  of  the  sun," 
etc.,  which  still  persists.  We  might  add,  however, 
that  if,  as  represented,  the  supposed  ancient  authors 
of  the  Book  under  discussion  were  privileged  with 
direct  divine  communications  of  any  variety,  it  is 
reasonable  to  assume  that  they  might  thereby  have 
been  enlightened  on  this,  or  any  other  matter  of  inter- 
est to  them.  If  ** Christian  scholarship"  holds  that 
all  the  prophets  and  apostles  of  old  held  blindly  to 
the  geocentric  view  of  the  universe  merely  because 
Galileo  Galilei  and  John  Kopemick  were  as  yet  un- 
born, we  may  reasonably  ask  its  prominent  exponents 
why  they  stop  short  of  following  the  jibes  of  **  infidel 
rationalists"  in  questioning  the  Ascension  of  Christ 
Himself,  on  the  ground  that  **  there  was  no  place  for 
Him  to  ascend  into,  except  empty  space."  No  ac- 
cepted revelation  of  God  concerns  itself  very  largely 
with  the  imparting  of  correct  views  on  scientific  mat- 
ters. But,  when  a  professed  revelation,  which  is  of- 
fered for  our  acceptance,  is  found  to  contain  a  state- 
ment in  some  such  branch  of  knowledge,  which  is 
perfectly  correct,  that  simple  fact  becomes  an  argu- 
ment against  its  authenticity  and  authority.  Logic 
is  a  perplexing  subject  for  an  untrained  mind. 

De  Post  Facto  Prophecies. — Having  completed 
this,  his  preliminary  skirmish,  the  Doctor  proceeds  to 
elaborate  his  ** critical  test"  in  a  manner  highly  un- 
favorable to  the  claims  made  for  the  **Book  of  Mor- 
mon," so  far  at  least  as  appearances  go.  Thus,  he 
argues  that  its  claims  cannot  possibly  be  true  for  the 
** excellent  reason"  that,  as  he  says,  **New  Testament 
events  are  represented  as  being  anticipated  by  re- 
ligious leaders  in  America  with  a  definiteness  and 


70        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

clarity  which  put  to  shame  the  prophetic  foresight  of 
the  most  illumined  of  the  Old  Testament  seers.  No 
competent  biblical  critic  in  the  world  could  fail  to 
discover  that  we  have  here  a  transcript  from  the  New 
Testament  audaciously  set  forth  as  matter  of  fore- 
sight." He  then  specifies  the  predictions  of  the 
father  of  Nephi  on  the  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist 
(I  Nephi  X,  7-11),  and  several  statements  upon  the 
mission  of  Christ,  the  name  of  His  mother,  the  cir- 
cumstances of  His  death,  etc.,  mostly  taken  from 
I  Nephi,  II  Nephi  and  Mosiah.  ^^Kespecting  some  of 
these  things,"  he  says,  **the  apostles  were  still  in 
need  of  light  after  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The  whole 
list  falls  within  an  horizon  in  essential  contrast  with 
that  of  Old  Testament  prediction.  From  beginning 
to  end  it  plainly  is  history  set  forth  by  a  barefaced 
fiction  as  matter  of  prophetical  foresight."  It  is  re- 
markable how  readily  these  matters  may  be  **  discov- 
ered," and  how  beautifully  they  '*fall  within  an 
horizon  in  essential  contrast,"  etc.  Nevertheless,  our 
author  is  not  arguing,  but  plainly  dogmatizing.  It 
is  not  evident  that  these  statements  have  any  such 
character  as  he  alleges  for  them.  Nor  could  any 
logical  Christian  possibly  support  his  contentions  with 
consistent  argument.  That  this  is  true  will  be  shown 
at  once. 

Prophecies  not  Cryptic. — There  are  two  perfectly 
obvious  facts  to  be  considered  before  these  charges 
of  'imposture" — a  favorite  word  with  many  unre- 
flective  and  prejudiced  persons — may  be  admitted. 
In  the  first  place,  no  matter  what  may  have  been  the 
state  of  mind  of  the  apostles  '*  after  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost," the  claim  is  made  repeatedly  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament that  the  life  and  death  of  Christ  are  per- 
spicuously set  forth  in  the  Old  Testament.  "Whether 
the  present  accepted  text  of  the  Old  Testament  has 
been  abridged  or  mutilated,  so  as  to  conceal  this,  or 
whether  it  is  because  we  are  spiritually  blind  and 
cannot  discern  it,  the  fact  remains  that  the  claim  is 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       71 

made  with  absolute  confidence  and  directness.  Thus : 
*'Then  he  [Christ]  said  unto  them,  0  fools  and  slow 
of  heart  to  believe  all  that  the  prophets  have  spoken : 
Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and 
to  enter  into  his  glory?  And  beginning  with  Moses 
and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  unto  them  in  all 
the  Scriptures  the  things  concerning  himself." 
(Luke  xxiv,  25-27.)  The  same  facts  are  expressly 
referred  to  in  the  Book  of  Acts  in  no  less  than  seven 
passages  (iii,  18;  viii,  35;  x,  43;  xiii,  29;  xviii,  28; 
xxvi,  22-23;  xxviii,  23),  quite  as  if  none  but  ^ 'fools 
and  slow  of  heart''  could  fail  to  discern  the  clear  pre- 
dictions of  the  entire  life  and  ministry  of  Christ  **in 
all  the  prophets.'' 

Translation  and  Interpretation. — If,  then,  as 
should  be  admitted  by  all  professing  Christians,  whose 
minds  are  not  poisoned  and  warped  by  the  specious 
fallacies  of  the  so-called  ''higher  criticism,"  the  life 
and  works  of  Christ  are  so  clearly  predicted  in  the 
Old  Testament  as  to  be  understood  by  any  one,  who, 
like  the  disciples  who  met  Him  on  the  way  of  Em- 
maus,  have  had  the  Scriptures  ** opened  unto  them" 
(Luke  xxiv,  32),  it  would  seem  reasonable  that  any 
person  so  enlightened  should  so  render  the  passages 
of  Scripture  as  to  make  the  meaning  clear.  Thus,  for 
example,  if  any  such  meaning  be  held  to  attach  to 
Job's  statement  '*I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth" 
(Job  xix,  25),  an  instructed  soul  might  be  tempted  to 
inject  the  phrase  ''which  Redeemer  {i,e.,  Saviour  or 
Deliverer)  is  Christ."  Nor,  with  adequate  authority, 
could  he  be  justly  accused  of  "corrupting  the  text." 
He  would  be  doing  no  more  than  the  ancient  scribes 
did  repeatedly,  as  may  be  seen  in  their  explanatory 
glosses  on  the  meanings  of  names  given  to  the  various 
patriarchs;  some  of  which  (c/.  "Reuben,"  Genesis 
xxix,  32)  are  of  questionable  etymology. 

Is  the  "Book  of  Mormon"  Modem?— Perfectly 
similar  lines  of  explanation  serve  to  offset  the  third  and 
iourth  heads  of  objection,  as  given  by  our  champion 


72        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

of  anti-^^Mormonism";  that  the  *^Book  of  Mormon'' 
(as  *  *  translated  into  English, "  be  it  corrected)  * '  is  per- 
meated with  the  phraseology  of  the  King  James  Ver- 
sion of  the  Bible/'  and  that  it  *' advertises  its  modern 
origin  by  the  use  of  dogmatic  phrases  and  conceptions 
essentially  foreign  to  an  antique  Jewish  people."  It 
seems  indeed,  quite  probable  that  the  'translator"  of 
the  ''Book  of  Mormon"  was  thoroughly  "saturated" 
with  the  forms  of  expression  peculiar  to  the  older 
version  of  the  Bible — more  than  that  a  constant  reader 
and  student  of  the  Bible — and  it  is  more  than  natural 
that  he  should  constantly  have  clothed  the  ideas  ex- 
pressed in  an  unfamiliar,  but  sacred,  text  with  these 
or  similar  terms.  If,  indeed,  the  "Mormon"  conten- 
tion be  true  that  the  Gospel  is  an  "everlasting  Gos- 
pel"— from  eternity  as  well  as  to  eternity — it  is  not 
surprising  that  many  ideas  found  in  the  Bible  should 
have  occurred  also  in  this  other  sacred  book,  and  been 
capable  of  expression  in  the  words  of  a  translation 
already  made  into  English.  A  man  thinks,  or  rather 
expresses  his  thoughts  in  the  word-forms  most  familiar 
to  him.  This  rule  applies  as  well  in  "translating," 
or  in  explaining  the  ideas  of  others.  Furthermore, 
whatever  theory  of  "inspiration"  one  may  adopt,  it 
is  perfectly  clear  that  the  truths  thus  imparted  flow 
forth  to  expression,  in  a  very  real  sense,  through  the 
channels  of  the  writers'  personalities.  Thus  we  find 
in  the  Bible,  particularly  in  the  New  Testament,  such 
great  diversities  of  style  and  treatment,  as  several 
men  of  such  evidently  diverse  temperaments  as  Paul, 
Peter  and  John  show  in  expounding  the  Gospel  in 
their  several  epistles,  emphasizing  those  elements  that 
appeal  most  strongly  to  them,  as  if  chosen  for  that 
very  purpose,  and  using  their  own  phraseology.  If, 
then,  there  is  any  truth  in  the  doctrine  of  a  "  modern 
revelation,"  we  may  readily  see  the  same  personal 
equation  exemplified,  not  only  in  the  translator's  use 
of  familiar  Scriptural  phrases,  but  even  in  the  de- 
fective  grammar,    with   which   he    occasionally   ex- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       73 

presses  himself.  [^*But  God  hath  chosen  .  .  .  the 
weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things 
which  are  mighty" — I  Corinthians,  i,  27.] 

Shakespeare  Quoted? — In  view  of  the  above,  it 
seems  hardly  necessary  to  pause  to  answer  the  allega- 
tion that,  as  a  certain  John  Hyde  avers,  298  **  direct 
quotations  from  the  New  Testament"  had  been 
counted  in  the  *'Book  of  Mormon,"  in  addition  to  the 
lengthy  chapters  and  passages  directly  borrowed. 
Our  author  cannot  refrain,  however,  from  the  remark, 
*'it  is  no  cause  for  surprise  to  find  such  a  reminiscence 
of  William  Shakespeare  as  is  contained  in  this  ex- 
pression: 'The  cold  and  silent  grave  whence  no 
traveler  can  return.'  "  There  has  been  an  immense 
amount  of  capital  made  out  of  this  expression,  but, 
as  any  candid  critic  must  admit,  there  is  no  possible 
point  of  contact  between  it  and  the  passage  from 
Shakespeare  (**that  undiscovered  country  from  whose 
bourne  no  traveler  returns")  beyond  the  use  of  the 
word  ** traveler."  There  may  be  a  ** reminiscence" 
here,  supplying  the  translator  with  a  word  seemingly 
appropriate  for  an  English  rendering,  but  the  idea  is 
by  no  means  peculiar  to  Shakespeare.  Thus,  in  the 
Book  of  Job,  we  find  the  phrase,  **  before  I  go  whence 
I  shall  not  return"  (i,  21) ;  also,  **I  shall  go  the  way 
whence  I  shall  not  return"  (xvi,  22) ;  again,  *'man 
giveth  up  the  ghost  (breath),  and  where  is  he?" 
(xiv,  10) ;  and  in  the  Psalms,  ** before  I  go  hence  and 
be  no  more ' '  (xxxix,  13 ) .  Any  one  of  these  passages  is 
as  close  to  Shakespeare  as  the  one  found  in  the  **Book 
of  Mormon,"  and  except  for  the  fact  that  several  of 
them  stand  in  the  first  person,  could  as  well  be  ren- 
dered with  the  word,  ** traveler,"  or  any  other  of 
similar  import.  To  use  such  a  word  in  these  connec- 
tions would  be  no  more  of  a  ** corruption  of  the  text" 
than  the  purely  gratuitous  introduction  of  the  word, 
** worms,"  in  the  very  difficult  passage  Job  xix,  26. 
It  is  very  often  necessary  for  a  translator  to  thus  add 
and  paraphrase,  in  order  to  convey  the  meaning  of  a 


74        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

passage  from  one  language  into  another.  Further- 
more, all  translators  must  draw  upon  their  own  stock 
of  words  and  phrases,  whether  these  approximate 
Shakespeare  or  any  other  writer.  The  presence  of 
apparent  Scriptural  and  Shakespearean  phrases  in 
the  *^Book  of  Mormon,"  therefore,  is  positively  no  ar- 
gument whatever  against  the  claim  that  it  is  a  transla- 
tion from  some  other  language,  even  from  an  ancient 
one.  Nor  would  any  such  argument  be  used  by  any 
scholar  determined  to  do  justice  to  the  claims  made 
for  the  ''Book  of  Mormon,"  and  to  convict,  if  at  all, 
on  a  full  show  of  evidence. 

Conditions  of  Translating. — To  any  one  possessed 
of  even  a  rudimentary  knowledge  of  languages  it  is 
unnecessary  to  state  that  seldom,  except  in  the  sim- 
plest constructions,  is  it  possible  to  make  a  direct 
transposition  in  translation.  That  is  to  say,  lan- 
guages differ  among  themselves  far  more  in  point  of 
the  idioms,  or  special  forms,  used  to  express  ideas, 
than  in  the  vocabularies.  Thus,  in  reading  French, 
for  example,  one  may  far  oftener  translate  by  sub- 
stituting English  words  in  a  sentence,  the  same  forms 
and  order  being  very  often  found  in  the  two  lan- 
guages, than  in  translating  from  German.  In  the 
case  of  the  latter  language,  the  use  of  paraphrase,  or 
of  ''equivalent  expressions,"  embodying  the  same 
original  idea,  but  not  the  word  forms,  is  the  rule, 
rather  than  the  exception.  This  is  true  far  more 
frequently  in  translating  from  ancient  and  alien  lan- 
guages. Thus,  in  Genesis  xvi,  13,  Hagar  is  repre- 
sented as  saying  "Thou  God  seest  me."  In  the  orig- 
inal she  seems  to  say  literally,  "Thou  (art)  God  a 
vision, ' '  and  there  is  a  real  problem  as  to  whether  the 
Hebrew  text  as  it  stands  does  not  mean,  "Thou  art  a 
God  (who  is)  seen."  The  context  might  justify  the 
latter  rendering  as  well  as  the  former.  She  also  says : 
"Have  I  also  here  looked  after  him  that  seeth  me?" 
but  the  original  admits,  quite  as  correctly,  the  ex- 
pression, "Do  I  then  here  see  [i.e.  live]  after  the  vis- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       75 

ion  [i.e.  of  God]?"  [The  latter  rendering  is  sug- 
gested by  Gesenius.]  We  may  understand,  then,  the 
wide  margin  of  uncertainty  in  rendering  a  passage 
from  an  ancient  language,  as  between  possible  transla- 
tions, and  the  true  original  sense  intended  by  the 
writer. 

** Modem  Dogmatic  Phrases/' — ^We  may  hold  also, 
that  the  presence  of  **  dogmatic  phrases  and  concep- 
tions essentially  foreign  to  an  antique  Jewish  people, 
but  quite  at  home  in  evangelical  communions  of  the 
nineteenth  century ' '  is  positively  no  argument  against 
the  contention  that  the  *'Book  of  Mormon''  was  really 
translated  from  an  ancient  Hebraic  document.  As 
to  whether  such  conceptions  are  ** foreign''  to  a  Jew- 
ish community,  antique  or  otherwise,  is  beside  the 
point,  since  the  Old  Testament  itself  often  upbraids 
the  Israelites  from  their  departures  from  the  laws  of 
God,  which,  as  we  are  told,  ** testify  of  me."  If, 
however,  as  some  might  suppose,  *' phrases  at  home 
in  Evangelical  communions"  are  unscriptural,  the 
objection  may  seem  to  be  well  taken. 

Christ  in  the  Old  Testament. — ^Among  the  phrases 
mentioned,  we  find:  *Hhe  atonement  of  Christ"  and 
**the  atoning  blood  of  Christ."  Our  author  finds  an 
example  of  ** modem  revivalistic  fervor"  in  the  words 
of  II  Nephi  xxxiii,  6,  **I  glory  in  my  Jesus,  for  he  hath 
redeemed  my  soul  from  hell,"  which  he  mentions  as  a 
** flagrant  disregard  of  historic  conditions."  [One 
might  almost  fear  that  he  had  forgotten  the  passage 
in  Luke  xxiv,  25-27,  and  the  others  cited.]  It  all 
depends  upon  the  critic's  point  of  view,  whether  such 
passages  may  be  taken  as  examples  of  **  flagrant  dis- 
regard," etc.,  or  not.  An  ** infidel"  might  enjoy 
urging  this  very  argument  against  the  Old  Testament 
itself.  Indeed,  the  *' higher  critics"  have  done  this 
very  thing.  At  any  rate,  ''infidel"  or  ''believer"  to 
the  contrary,  a  translator  thoroughly  convinced  of 
the  explicit  prophecies  of  Christ  and  His  work  in  the 
Old  Testament  might  find  this  passage  in  several  con- 


76        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

nections.  This  may  be  explained  as  follows:  The 
name  Jesus  is  the  Anglicized  form  of  the  Greek  New 
Testament  rendering  (lesous)  of  a  Hebrew  name, 
which  is  usually  supposed  to  be  Yeshua,  a  modifica- 
tion of  the  name  Yehoshua,  or  Joshua  (meaning  ^Hhe 
Lord  will  save").  There  is,  however,  another  word, 
Yeshuah,  with  the  meaning  '^rest,"  '^safety,"  '^sal- 
vation," which,  on  the  authority  of  Matthew  i,  21 
[*'Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus:  for  he  shall  save 
His  people  from  their  sins"],  might  be  taken  as  the 
original.  On  any  assumption,  the  two  words  might 
readily  be  interchanged,  or  used  as  synonymous  ex- 
pressions, by  the  process  of  paranomasia,  in  which 
ancient  writers  explained  words  by  sound-similarities, 
rather  than  on  the  basis  of  etymology,  in  the  modern 
sense.  Examples  of  this  are  found  in  the  explana- 
tions given  for  several  names  in  the  Old  Testament, 
as  already  explained,  and  are  so  numerous  in  all 
ancient  languages  as  to  be  familiar  to  scholars.  The 
word  Yeshuah  is  used  repeatedly  in  the  Psalms  and 
Prophets  with  the  translated  meaning,  ''salvation." 
In  several  connections  the  rendering  "deliverer,"  or 
"savior,"  has  been  proposed.  Thus:  "I  will  re- 
joice in  thy  salvation"  (Psalms  ix,  14) ;  "my  heart 
shall  rejoice  in  thy  salvation"  (Psalms  xiii,  5) ;  "my 
soul  .  .  .  shall  rejoice  in  his  salvation"  (Psalms 
XXXV,  9).  In  all  these  cases  we  have  this  word.  In 
some  passages  it  might  be  taken  as  a  name,  giving 
quite  as  clear  an  indication  of  the  person  and  work  of 
Christ  as  is  professedly  indicated  by  many  of  the 
chapter  headings  introduced  in  the  Prophets  by  the 
translators  or  editors  of  the  King  James  Version  [c/. 
Zechariah,  for  example].  Among  such  passages  we 
may  mention  Isaiah  xxv,  9,  "Lo,  this  is  our  God;  we 
have  waited  for  him,  and  he  will  save  us :  this  is  the 
Lord;  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation 
(Yeshuah),''  Similarly,  one  might  compare  the 
passage,  "With  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the 
wells  of  salvation  (Yeshuah) ^'^  with  that  in  John  iv, 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       77 

14,  **a  weU  of  water  springing  up  into  everlasting 
life,"  or  with  the  direct  application  of  a  prophetic 
passage  in  John  vii,  37-39.  But  an  even  more  strik- 
ing use  of  this  same  word  occurs  in  the  parallel  pas- 
sages in  Psalms  xiv  and  liii.  After  bewailing  the 
growing  wickedness  of  mankind,  and  relating  that  the 
**  workers  of  iniquity  .  .  .  eat  up  my  people  as  they 
eat  bread,"  the  Psalmist  exclaims,  ''Oh,  that  the  sal- 
vation of  Israel  were  come  out  of  Zion !  When  God 
bringeth  back  the  captivity  of  his  people,  Jacob  shall 
rejoice,  and  Israel  shall  be  glad."  The  marginal 
readings  of  these  passages  are  also  interesting — 
**Who  will  give  salvation  to  Israel."  Better  still,  in 
a  Jewish  translation  of  the  passages,  we  read,  *'0h 
that  some  one  might  bring  the  salvation  of  Israel  out 
of  Zion ! ' '  The  idea  of  a  Saviour  is  strongly  suggested 
by  the  construction  of  the  Hebrew  text,  and  we  find 
this  idea  associated  with  the  name,  or  word,  Yeshuah. 
Is  it  possible  that  the  translator  of  the  **Book  of  Mor- 
mon" had,  as  an  important  part  of  his  mission,  to  call 
attention  to  the  fact  that  not  only  the  work,  but  often 
also  the  name  of  Christ,  **God  hath  spoken  by  the 
mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets  since  the  world  be- 
gan" (Acts  iii,  21).  The  fact  that  the  name  of 
Jesus,  or  mention  of  any  principles  of  the  Gospel,  is 
to  be  found  in  the  *'Book  of  Mormon"  is  absolutely  no 
condemnation  of  its  professed  character  as  an  ancient 
writing,  as  any  Christian  scholar,  not  blinded  by 
prejudice,  must  admit.  Whatever  may  be  the  real 
facts  regarding  it,  such  arguments  must  be  ruled  out 
as  irrelevant  and  incompetent,  as  against  its  claims. 

Alternatives  in  Translation. — Enough  has  been 
said  already  to  enforce  the  fact  that,  whatever  may 
be  held  to  be  the  original  meaning  of  many  given  pas- 
sages in  the  Scriptures,  there  is  often  an  alternative 
rendering  that  is  quite  as  consistent  with  the  lan- 
guage and  constructions  used.  Thus,  in  the  latter 
clause  of  the  passage  above  quoted — ''he  hath  saved 
my  soul  from  hell" — an  informed  mind,  willing  to 


78        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

consider  the  claim  that  we  have  here  a  real  transla- 
tion from  some  ancient  ton^e,  could  not  fail  to  see 
that  there  is  another  alternative  than  the  supposition 
that  only  ^'modern  revivalistic  fervor"  is  indicated. 
Such  a  person  knows  perfectly  well  that,  even  in 
many  passages  in  which  the  word  ^'heir'  is  given  in 
the  translation,  there  is  a  real  question  as  to  whether 
the  meaning  usually  understood,  or  only  physical 
death,  or  the  grave,  is  proper.  This  is  evident,  be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  in  the  Hebrew  the  one  word, 
sheol,  which  connotes  primarily  ''pit,"  ''hollow 
place,"  "cave,"  "grave,"  is  used  with  both  apparent 
significations.  Similarly,  it  is  not  always  certain 
whether  salvation  is  viewed  as  a  release  from  death, 
or  the  danger  of  death,  or  from  spiritual  death  in  the 
world  to  come.  Very  often,  however,  the  former 
meaning  seems  to  be  indicated.  Thus,  in  the  Psalms, 
we  find  such  passages  as  "Thou  hast  delivered  my 
soul  from  death"  (cxvi,  8),  and  "The  Lord  hath 
chastened  me  sore:  but  he  hath  not  given  me  over 
unto  death"  (cxviii,  18).  The  problematical  signifi- 
cance of  perfectly  similar  passages  has  claimed  the  at- 
tention of  Hebrew  commentators  from  early  times. 
Thus,  in  the  Talmud,  we  read  variant  judgments 
based  on  the  possible  double  meaning  of  the  word 
sheol,  as  follows: 

"Korah  and  his  company  have  no  share  in  the  world  to 
come,  and  are  not  judged,  as  it  is  written  (Numbers  xvi,  33)  : 
*And  the  earth  closed  over  them,  and  they  disappeared  from 
the  midst  of  the  congregation/  Such  is  the  decision  of  Kabbi 
Eliezer.  Rabbi  Joshua,  however,  said:  *They  are  included, 
and  the  words,  "The  Lord  killeth,  and  maketh  alive:  he 
bringeth  down  to  the  grave,  and  bringeth  up"  (I  Samuel  ii, 
6),  have  reference  to  them,  because  here  is  mentioned  the 
grave,  as  it  is  written  (Numbers  xvi,  33)  :  "And  they  went 
down,  they  and  all  they  that  appertained  to  them,  alive  into 
the  pit."  Also  where  it  is  mentioned  in  both  cases  the 
bringing-up  from  the  grave  is  included.  .  .  .  We  are  to  imder- 
stand  that  they  disappeared  from  the  midst  of  the  congre- 
gation, but  not  from  the  world  to  come.' " — Tosephtha,  Ahoth 
of  Rabbi  Nathan — Chapter  XXXVI.  {"The  Babylonian  Tal- 
mud"— Rodkinson's  translation.) 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       79 

A  '* Tapering-down.'* — The  destruction  of  Mormon 
claims  seems  to  be  a  hideously  simple  matter  in  the 
minds  of  anti-'* Mormon"  writers — so  many  people 
whose  *' integrity"  is  vouched  for  have  **afifidavited" 
against  them.  Still,  lest  there  be  any  who  can  still 
believe  them  true,  the  '* destructive  arguments"  must 
be  carried  to  their  logical  conclusion.  Thus:  **The 
entire  affluent  history  of  a  thousand  years,  we  must 
conclude,  tapered  down  to  nothing,"  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Nephite  civilization.  Although,  as  stated. 
Smith  would  have  us  believe  that  the  production  and 
preservation  of  the  *  *  Book  of  Mormon"  was  a  sufficient 
end,  it  is  concluded  that,  in  view  of  the  ** testimonies" 
of  the  Ingersolls,  Lewises,  et  al.,  that  **his  estimate 
of  .  .  .  its  wretched  abortiveness "  completes  the  pre- 
sumption that  it  is  a  ''baseless  fiction."  This  is  an 
argument,  however,  that  ** works  both  ways."  One 
might  reasonably  claim  that,  in  view  of  the  large 
promises  made  by  God  to  Abraham,  the  history  of  the 
Jews  was  also  ''wretchedly  abortive."  The  outcome 
to  date  must  be  somewhat  disappointing  to  a  consist- 
ent adherent  of  traditional  Judaism. 

A  Valuable  Side-light. — Apart  from  the  considera- 
tion of  any  such  arguments,  however,  and  without 
dwelling  upon  the  evident  fact  that  any  judgment 
based  upon  professed  evidences  of  divine  and  provi- 
dential activity  must  be  extremely  ill  taken,  it  may 
reasonably  be  held  that  the  "tapering-down"  above 
mentioned  may  not  be  so  pronounced  after  all.  There 
is  one  very  valuable  side-light  which  the  professed 
character  of  the  ' ' Book  of  Mormon"  might  throw  upon 
certain  issues  important  at  the  present  time,  when  a 
certain  irresponsible  influence,  variously  dignified 
under  the  name  of  "scholarship,"  is  doing  so  much 
to  discredit  the  authority  of  Scripture  even  in  the 
minds  of  professed  believers.  The ' '  Book  of  Mormon, ' ' 
published  at  a  time  long  previous  to  the  days  of 
"higher  criticism,"  so  called,  announces  itself  as  con- 
sisting essentially   of   certain   "abridgments"   from 


80       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

older  and  fuller  records  of  the  events  and  histories 
narrated.  Thus,  one  part  of  it  is  stated  to  be  *'an 
abridgment  of  the  record  of  the  people  of  Nephi,  and 
also  of  the  Lamanites  .  .  .  written  and  sealed  up, 
and  hid  up  unto  the  Lord,  that  they  might  not  be 
destroyed.''  Another  part  is  stated  to  be  **an  abridg- 
ment taken  from  the  Book  of  Ether;  which  is  the 
record  of  the  people  of  Jared  ...  to  the  convincing 
of  the  Jew  and  Gentile  that  JESUS  is  the  CHRIST, 
the  ETERNAL  GOD,  manifesting  himself  unto  all 
nations."  If  the  Nephites  lived  and  died,  as  alleged, 
for  no  other  purpose  than  to  preserve  this  Book  for 
posterity,  they  certainly  lived  not  utterly  in  vain. 
An  ** abridgment"!  What  a  valuable  side-light  that 
one  word  throws  upon  the  current  contests  on  the  na- 
ture and  authority  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.  We 
may  see,  that,  perhaps,  after  all,  the  books  of  Moses 
are  not  antique  *^ scrap  books,"  mere  collections  of 
I  items  and  '* clippings"  from  various  and  alien  sources, 
\  but,  in  a  very  real  sense,  condensations,  abridgments 
\  of  far  older  and  fuller  works,  as  bulky,  perhaps,  as  the 
Vi  *' Blessed  Mahabharata, "  that  great  **  Iliad  and  Odys- 
sey of  India."  This  thought,  coupled  with  the  proved 
archaeological  accuracy  of  very  many  of  the  narra- 
tions in  Genesis,  accounts  for  the  bulk  of  the  *' differ- 
ences in  style"  of  which  we  hear  so  much.  (Thus 
we  may  see  at  one  place  a  direct  quotation,  at  another, 
a  summary,  at  another  a  restatement  of  the  substance 
of  a  longer  passage  in  the  original.)  Taking  the  word 
'^abridgment"  as  a  clue  to  the  whole  mass  of  the  lit- 
erature, we  find  that  it  explains  the  numerous  refer- 
ences to  the  Books  of  the  Chronicles  of  the  Kings  of 
Judah,  and  of  Israel,  and  other  *'lost  books";  and 
may  partially  explain  the  parallel  narratives  found 
in  the  books  of  Samuel  and  Kings,  on  the  one  hand, 
and  of  Chronicles  and  the  minor  prophetic  writings 
following  them,  on  the  other.  Both  sets  of  books  are, 
in  a  sense,  *' abridgments"  of  longer  records,  which 
have  been  held  in  such  nearly  equal  esteem  that 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       81 

neither  the  one  set,  nor  the  other,  has  ever  been  omitted 
from  the  canon.  There  are  also  partial  parallels  be- 
tween the  *'law''  of  Leviticus  and  that  of  Deuter- 
onomy, which  are  not  evidently  ''consecutive  devel- 
opments,'' as  the  ''popes  of  scholarship"  insist. 
There  is  very  much  to  be  said  on  the  contention  that 
these  "two  codes"  are  independent  "abridgments" 
of  an  older  and  fuller  body  of  laws.  It  may  be  that 
this  "idea"  alone  will  yet  prove  to  be  the  means  of 
saving  our  faith  in  the  Bible  as  the  very  Word  of 
God  from  the  attacks  of  a  masked  and  hypScritical 
infidelity.  Not  such  a  great  "tapering-down,"  after 
aU! 

Finding  the  Hidden  Book. — In  this  connection, 
also,  we  may  refer  to  the  claim  that  the  Book  under 
discussion  was  not  only  an  "abridgment,"  but  also 
that  it  was  "sealed  up,  and  hid  up  unto  the  Lord," 
to  be  brought  forth  for  the  conviction  of  a  world 
apostate  from  Christ.  Thus,  as  recorded,  in  another 
age  of  doubt  and  apostasy,  when  the  worship  of 
"strange  gods"  was  mingled  hideously  with  the  serv- 
ice of  the  Lord,  in  His  own  temple,  the  high  priest 
Hilkiah  discovered  the  Book  of  the  Law  (II  Kings 
xxii,  8-14  and  II  Chronicles  xxxiv,  14-22)  in  the 
temple,  and  gave  it  to  Shaphan  the  scribe  to  read  to 
the  King  Josiah.  When  Josiah  had  heard  the  read- 
ing, he  "rent  his  clothes,"  and  exclaimed,  "Great  is 
the  wrath  of  the  Lord  that  is  poured  out  upon  us,  be- 
cause our  fathers  have  not  kept  the  word  of  the  Lord, 
to  do  after  all  that  is  written  in  this  book."  Of 
course,  the  "higher  critics,"  whose  knowledge  is  truly 
amazing — it  seems  in  some  cases  to  have  "deceived 
the  very  elect" — ^find  in  this  episode  only  a  "proof" 
that  Hilkiah  and  his  associates  ' '  concocted ' '  the  Book 
of  the  Law,  thus  being  the  "real  authors"  of  the 
Mosaic  code,  etc.,  etc.,  just  as  Hurlburt  and  Howe, 
and  their  successors,  have  argued  that  Smith,  Rigdon, 
and  the  long-suffering  and  much-wronged  Spaulding 
concocted  the ' ' Book  of  Mormon"  for  the  misleading  of 


82        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

the  world.  If  the  one  allegation  is  true,  we  have  fair 
reasons  for  accepting  the  other  also;  but,  if  we  see 
God's  method  in  the  one  case,  we  need  not  feel  com- 
pelled to  resurrect  poor,  dead  Spaulding,  in  the  other. 
There  are  many  situations  of  which  we  know  nothing, 
and,  it  may  be,  that  we  have  one  of  them  in  both  the 
episodes  mentioned. 

** Higher  Criticism''  to  the  Rescue.— But,  most 
mentionable  among  ''subsidiary  criticisms,"  we  learn 
that  the  ''Book  of  Mormon"  is  to  be  rejected  because 
certain  portions  of  the  Book  of  Isaiah  quoted  in  it 
belong  among  the  last  twenty-seven  chapters,  which 
"recent  scholarship"  has  assigned  to  a  period  pos- 
terior to  the  Babylonish  captivity.  Hence,  although 
this  view  has  not  been  "universally  adopted  in 
learned  circles,"  it  may  be  true,  and  the  "Book  of 
Mormon"  must  be  held  under  suspicion,  until  "doc- 
tors agree."  We  have  heard  of  the  "papacy  of  schol- 
arship," by  which  sundry  persons  "speak  ex  cath- 
edra^' on  matters  by  no  means  clearly  demonstrated. 
Why  should  "scholars"  conclude  that  this  later  date 
belongs  to  the  later  chapters  of  Isaiah?  Let  us  an- 
swer briefly  in  the  words  of  a  prominent  scholar,  who 
is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  facts.  Says  Prof.  Wil- 
liam H.  Green: 

"The  fallacy  [of  the  canons  of  'higher  criticism'  on  the  Tiis- 
torical  date'  of  a  book  of  the  Bible]  comes  in  when  it  is 
openly  or  covertly  assumed  that  in  determining  the  histor- 
ical position  of  a  writing  every  prediction  must  be  regarded 
as  post  eventum.  Thus  it  is  claimed  that  the  promise  to 
Abraham  (Genesis  xvii,  6)  and  to  Jacob  (xxxv,  11)  that 
kings  should  descend  from  them  could  not  have  been  put  into 
form  until  after  the  time  of  David,  .  .  .  and  every  antici- 
pation of  the  Babylonish  exile  by  Isaiah  is  held  to  be  proof 
that  the  passage  containing  it  is  of  a  later  age." 

Here  we  have  it,  "in  a  nutshell";  a  dumb  beast,  as 
we  are  told,  can  have  a  premonition  of  an  earthquake, 
or  of  the  kind  of  winter,  cold  or  "open,"  that  is  to 
follow  the  days  of  autumn,  but  the  Spirit  of  God — 
which  these  "critics"  profess  to  believe,  "breathes," 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       83 

somehow  or  other,  in  the  pages  of  Scripture — cannot 
possibly  be  credited  with  foresight  in  such  matters  as 
are  contained  in  the  later  chapters  of  Isaiah.  So,  we 
are  to  reject  the  **Book  of  Mormon''  because  it  does 
not  represent  the  kind  of  **  Christianity "  upheld  by 
**  scholarship"! 

'* Incredible  Narrations/' — Next,  we  find  our 
author  enlarging  upon  the  essential  **  incredibility " 
of  many  *'Book  of  Mormon"  narrations.  Thus,  he 
mentions  specifically  the  **  voyage  of  the  Jaredites 
[from  Asia]  to  America  in  very  peculiarly  con- 
structed barges."  This  account  may  be  untrue,  of 
course,  and  any  one  is  at  liberty  to  doubt  it  *  *  root  and 
branch."  But  one  hates  to  see  a  passage  like  the  fol- 
lowing: ''Anyone  who  can  believe  this  story  ought 
not  to  feel  obliged  to  challenge  the  historicity  of  any 
of  the  marvelous  tales  of  'Alice  in  Wonderland.'  " 
This  is  a  fine  example  of  "satire,"  and  needs  only  to 
be  extended  a  little  by  including  with  "Alice,"  the 
"Arabian  Nights,"  "Baron  Munchhausen, "  "Gulli- 
ver's Travels,"  and  the  Bible.  Whatever  may  be 
said  about  the  "incredibility"  of  this  narration — and 
an  ignoramus  might  find  a  diplodocus  "incredible," 
because  "No  one  never  sees  them  sort  of  things  now" 
— it  certainly  makes  no  greater  appeal  to  credulity 
than  the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea  by  the  Israelites; 
the  episode  of  Jonah  and  the  "great  fish"  (rejected 
because  contrary  to  the  law  of  "evolution,"  yet  impu- 
dently "interpreted"  by  some  as  a  clear  prophecy  of 
the  "Church,"  although  a  mere  "parable");  nor 
than  the  account  of  the  Deluge,  in  which  Noah  was 
saved  in  a  "very-peculiarly  constructed  ark."  If  we 
hold,  as  we  certainly  do,  to  the  accuracy  of  Scripture, 
we  must  be  prepared  to  answer  the  objections  of  such 
critics  as  Ingersoll  that  the  ark  had  a  window  "all  the 
way  round,"  because  it  was  said  about  it  merely,  "in 
a  cubit  shalt  thou  finish  it  above."  If  such  "incredi- 
ble" narrations  are  found  in  the  Bible,  and  people 
stiU  believe  that  it  is,  "in  some  sense,"  the  Word  of 


84        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

God,  or  that  it  ''contains"  the  "Word  of  God,  why 
should  we  condemn  another  professed  ''revelation," 
on  the  ground  that  it  contains  similarly  "incredible" 
narrations?  The  question  of  credibility  does  not  ap- 
pear at  all:  we  are  concerned  merely  with  believing 
that  "with  God  all  things  are  possible"  (Matthew 
xix,  26),  or  else  should  consistently  acknowledge  our- 
selves atheists  and  rejectors  of  all  for  which  Jesus 
stood,  except  his  "moral  precepts,"  which  no  one 
obeys  very  much.  In  all  narrations  representing  the 
direct  personal  participation  of  God  in  human  affairs, 
the  sole  valid  consideration  is,  "Did  it  really  occur"; 
never,  "Is  it  credible."  The  rejection  of  this  canon 
renders  "rationalism"  so  irrational. 

A  "Singular  Notion." — After  the  grand  display  of 
"scholarship"  and  "critical  discrimination"  already 
discussed,  we  read  a  final  indictment  of  the  ' '  Book  of 
Mormon"  on  the  following  grounds:  (1)  that  it  is 
"devoid  of  edifying  content,"  which  is  not  true — 
there  is  considerable  profound  thinking  in  this  book; 
(2)  that  it  contains  a  "continual  iteration"  of  "dis- 
obedience and  chastisement,"  on  the  one  hand,  and  of 
"repentance  and  renewed  opportunity,"  on  the  other 
— things  equally  true  of  the  Bible  itself;  (3)  that  it 
is  "terribly  wearisome"  ( I)  in  these  particulars.  To 
this  false  estimate  of  the  book,  he  adds  the  remark : 

"In  one  particular  there  is  a  descent  to  the  plane  of  the 
most  aberrant  thinking  of  the  time.  We  refer  to  the  sin- 
gular notion  that  the  transgression  of  Adam  was  one  of  the 
most  necessary  and  salutary  events  that  ever  happened,  since 
otherwise  the  race  would  have  continued  in  a  perfectly  static, 
poverty-stricken,  and  joyless  condition." 

This  teaching  is  a  "singular  notion"  merely  be- 
cause neither  Wesley,  nor  Calvin,  nor  any  other  his- 
toric theorizer  on  the  things  of  God  ever  propounded 
it,  preferring  their  own  guesses,  which  are  defective 
in  the  sense  that  they  positively  do  not  reveal  God^s 
love  in  the  matter,  making  the  entire  transaction  a 
mere  prelude  to  the  "eternal  loss"  of  a  large  part  of 
the  human  family.    Now,  if  this  teaching  is  nothing 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       85 

else  whatever,  it  is  an  explanation  of  the  condition 
offered  by  an  honest  man  and  a  deep  thinker  for  one 
of  the  most  vexing  problems  of  traditional  theology. 
Yet  we  hear  it  characterized  as  a  ** singular  notion.'' 
We  may  judge  of  the  absurdity  of  the  teaching  from 
the  following  passage : 

"If  Adam  had  not  transgressed,  he  would  not  have  fallen; 
but  he  would  have  remained  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  And  all 
things  which  were  created  must  have  remained  in  the  same 
state  (in)  which  they  were,  after  they  were  created;  and 
they  must  have  remained  forever,  and  had  no  end.  And  they 
would  have  had  no  children;  wherefore  they  would  have 
remained  in  a  state  of  innocence,  having  no  joy,  for  they 
knew  no  misery;  doing  no  good,  for  they  knew  no  sin.  But 
behold,  all  things  have  been  done  in  the  wisdom  of  him  who 
knoweth  all  things.  Adam  fell  that  men  might  be;  and  men 
are,  that  they  might  have  joy.  And  the  Messiah  cometh  in 
the  fulness  of  time,  that  he  may  redeem  the  children  of  men 
from  the  fall."—//  Nephi,  ii,  22-26. 

All  this  has  a  somewhat  familiar  sound — *'And  the 
Lord  God  said,  Behold,  the  man  is  become  as  one  of 
us,  to  know  good  and  evil" — but  the  unfamiliar  part 
[a  validly  Christian  part  it  is]  **Men  are  that  they 
might  have  joy"  harks  back  to  the  sayings  of  One 
who  ** spake  as  never  a  man  spake,"  and  whose  teach- 
ings, if  any  had  followed  them,  would  have  forestalled 
all  the  bitter  sociological  and  moral  difficulties  of  our 
time:  it  sets  forth  the  essential  rights  of  mankind. 
Why  must  it  be  left  for  **so  ignorant  a  man  as  Joe" 
— ^to  use  the  contemptuous  expression  previously 
quoted — to  grapple  and  attempt  a  solution  of  this 
condition,  caused  by  historic  deafness  to  the  words  of 
Christ? 

A  ** Beggarly  Set  of  Witnesses." — From  a  biassed 
and  uncritical  discussion  of  the  contents  of  the  ^  *  Book 
of  Mormon,"  of  which  he  seems  to  know  no  more 
than  could  be  gleaned  from  quotations  in  a  few  anti- 
** Mormon"  books,  our  author  turns  to  the  witnesses, 
whose  *' testimonies"  are  published  after  the  title-page 
of  all  editions  of  this  Book.  As  may  not  be  familiar 
to  all,  there  are  two  sets  of  witnesses :  the  *  *  Three  Wit- 


86       THE  CASE  AGAIN&T  MORMONISM 

nesses/'  Oliver  Cowdery,  Martin  Harris,  and  David 
Whitmer,  who  affirm  that,  while  at  prayer  in  a  wood 
with  Joseph  Smith,  an  angel  appeared,  showed  them 
the  plates  of  Mormon,  and  that  a  voice,  presumably, 
as  supposed,  that  of  God  Himself,  announced  that  the 
translation  had  been  correctly  made,  and  that  its 
record  is  true.  The  second  set  of  witnesses,  the 
'* Eight  Witnesses,"  testify  merely  that  they  had  seen, 
handled  and  *' hefted''  the  plates,  and  that  they 
**knew  of  a  surety"  that  Smith  had  them,  as  claimed. 
Now,  if  Smith  is  to  be  proved  an  'impostor,"  as  is 
held  by  his  numerous  **  neighbors, "  the  testimony  of 
these  witnesses  must  be  discounted,  of  course.  Thus, 
we  find  the  accusation  at  the  start  that  they  were 
Smith's  confederates,  with  the  implication  that  they 
must  have  lied,  because  '*  their  testimony  is  not  given 
in  the  form  of  personal  affidavits."  [The  ** personal 
affidavit"  seems  to  be  a  valuable  asset  in  the  opinion 
of  some  people — ^but  a  few  such  have  already  been 
discussed.]  After  a  tedious  discussion  of  whether 
the  vision  of  the  angel  was  manifest  to  the  **  physical 
sight"  of  the  witnesses  or  to  the  ^^ spiritual  eye,"  a 
problem  inadmissible  to  anyone  who  has  read  the 
account  given  by  Joseph  Smith,  we  hear  that  all  the 
three  witnesses  later  withdrew  from  the  Church,  and 
that  they  were  severely  condemned  and  characterized 
by  Smith  and  his  associates.  Hence,  we  read  the  cli- 
max, ^^But  the  group  as  a  whole  reduces,  on  examina- 
tion, to  a  rather  beggarly  set  of  witnesses."  It  is 
''thus  far,  and  no  further"  that  anti-'* Mormon"  au- 
thors ever  carry  the  witnesses,  who  claim  to  have 
heard  the  voice  of  God,  and  to  have  seen  an  angel. 
It  may  be,  as  we  read  here,  that  Cowdery  ''was  doubt- 
less a  knave,"  and  that  Whitmer  and  Harris  "were 
weak  and  wrong-headed,"  but  the  sequel  of  the  story, 
which  is  all  too  new  to  the  general  public,  is  that, 
after  years  of  separation  from  the  Church,  two  of  the 
witnesses,  Cowdery  and  Harris,  returned  to  it  again. 


MOBMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       87 

renewed  their  testimonies  as  to  the  reality  of  the  event 
described,  and  died  in  full  membership.  As  for 
Whitmer,  he  retired  to  a  town  in  Missouri,  whence  in 
1887,  fifty-eight  years  after  the  alleged  event,  he  pub- 
lished a  small  book,  entitled  **  Address  to  All  Be- 
lievers in  Christ,"  reaffirming  his  testimony  in  the 
strongest  terms.  On  his  gravestone  was  inscribed, 
at  his  own  request,  *  *  The  Record  of  the  Jews  and  the 
Record  of  the  Nephites  are  one.  Truth  is  eternal." 
This  is  the  story  of  this  *' rather  beggarly  set  of  wit- 
nesses." They  are  to  be  discredited  as  liars  and 
''confederates,"  while  the  galaxy  who  pretend  to  be 
able  to  remember  the  insignificant  details  of  Spauld- 
ing's  romance  for  over  twenty  years,  are  to  be  ac- 
cepted as  honest  and  simple  tellers  of  the  truth — 
which  is  to  say  of  the  things  that  some  people  like  to 
hear.  Small  wonder  that  logic  is  so  often  the  despair 
of  students! 

Eyes  Outer  and  Inner. — Proceeding  upon  the 
theory  that  the  vision  of  an  angel,  as  reported  by  the 
Three  Witnesses,  must  have  been  ''subjective" — in 
spite  of  the  previous  supposition  that  these  men  were 
mere  accomplices  and  confederates — ^the  Doctor 
writes : 

"David  Whitmer  was  doubtless  at  this  stage,  being  ex- 
ceedingly visionary,  a  good  subject  for  hypnotic  suggestion. 
That  his  experience  may  have  been  of  this  order  is  sug- 
gested by  the  fact  that  the  vision,  instead  of  being  imposed 
upon  neutral  subjects,  was  wrought  out  in  the  woods  by 
prayer  and  stress.  On  the  score  of  natural  eyesight  there  is 
no  apparent  reason  why  he  should  have  seen  what  the  phys- 
ical eyes  of  Harris  could  not  discover." 

The  Story  as  Told.— It  may  be  that  all  this  can  be 
defended  on  psychological  principles,  but  it  has  no 
sort  of  bearing  on  the  case  in  hand,  if,  indeed,  we  are 
to  consider  the  accounts  given  by  Smith  and  the  others 
as  the  ones  to  be  analyzed — or  attacked — in  the  mat- 
ter. Here  we  will  find  that  there  is  no  sort  of  claim 
that  Whitmer  could  see  what  was  invisible  to  the  eyes 


88        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

of  Harris,  be  they  physical  or  '^ inner."  The  follow- 
ing account  is  from  the  journal  of  Joseph  Smith  him- 
self: 

"We  four  .  .  .  agreed  to  retire  into  the  woods,  and  try 
to  obtain,  by  fervent  and  humble  prayer,  the  fulfilment  of 
the  promises.  .  .  .  According  to  previous  arrangement,  I  com- 
menced by  vocal  prayer  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  each  of  the  others  in  succession.  We  did  not  at  the 
first  trial,  however,  obtain  any  answer  or  manifestation  of  di- 
vine favor  in  our  behalf.  We  again  observed  the  same  order  in 
prayer,  each  calling  on  and  praying  fervently  to  God  in  rota- 
tion, but  with  the  same  result  as  before. 

"Upon  this,  our  second  failure,  Martin  Harris  proposed 
that  he  should  withdraw  himself  from  us,  believing,  as  he 
expressed  himself,  that  his  presence  was  the  cause  of  our  not 
obtaining  what  we  wished  for.  He  accordingly  withdrew  from 
us,  and  we  knelt  down  again,  and  had  not  been  many  minutes 
engaged  in  prayer,  when  presently  we  beheld  a  light  above 
us  in  the  air,  of  exceeding  brightness;  and  behold,  an  angel 
stood  before  us." 

After  recounting  that  the  angel  held  the  plates  and, 
addressing  Whitmer  stated  that  *^  blessed  is  he  that 
keeps  His  commandments";  also  that  a  voice  from 
above  announced  that  the  translation  had  been  cor- 
rectly made  by  the  power  of  God,  the  account  pro- 
ceeds thus: 

"I  now  left  David  and  Oliver,  and  went  in  pursuit  of  Martin 
Harris,  whom  I  found  at  a  considerable  distance,  fervently 
engaged  in  prayer.  He  soon  told  me,  however,  that  he  had 
not  yet  prevailed  with  the  Lord,  and  earnestly  requested  me 
to  join  him  in  prayer,  that  he  also  might  realize  the  same 
blessings  which  we  had  just  received.  We  accordingly  joined 
in  prayer,  and  ultimately  obtained  our  desires,  for  before  we 
had  yet  finished,  the  same  vision  was  opened  to  our  view, 
at  least  it  was  again  opened  to  me,  and  I  once  more  beheld 
and  heard  the  same  things;  whilst  at  the  same  moment, 
Martin  Harris  cried  out,  apparently  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy, 
*  'Tis  enough ;  'tis  enough ;  mine  eyes  have  beheld ;  mine  eyes 
have  beheld;'  and  jumping  up,  he  shouted  'Hosanna,'  blessing 
God,  and  otherwise  rejoiced  exceedingly." — History  of  the 
Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  54-55. 

*'Two  Families  Only/' — Of  course,  the  main  testi- 
mony upon  which  is  based  the  claim  that  the  '*Book 
of  Mormon"  is  true  and  correctly  translated  lies  in 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       89 

the  statements  of  the  three  witnesses  above  discussed. 
The  function  of  the  eight  witnesses,  who  testify  only 
that  they  **know  of  a  surety  that  the  said  Smith  has 
got  the  plates, ' '  would  seem  to  have  been  merely  sub- 
sidiary. They  were  named  Christian,  Jacob,  John, 
and  Peter  Whitmer,  Hiram  Page,  Joseph  Smith,  Sen., 
father  of  the  prophet,  and  the  prophet's  brothers, 
Hyrum,  and  Samuel  H.  Smith.  An  immense  deal  of 
capital  has  been  made  out  of  the  fact  that  these  per- 
sons were  all  members  of  the  two  families  most  closely 
identified  with  the  early  days  of  **Mormonism'' — 
since  Page  was  a  son-in-law  of  Peter  Whitmer.  There 
is  one  notable  consideration,  in  which  the  relevancy 
of  this  testimony — if  true — may  be  understood.  Ac- 
cording to  the  account  left  by  Smith,  the  translation 
of  the  plates  of  Mormon  was  done  in  two  houses,  that 
of  his  parents,  and  that  of  the  Whitmers.  The  testi- 
mony of  the  eight  witnesses  may  be,  therefore,  merely 
the  vouching  for  his  veracity  in  this  particular,  speak- 
ing of  objects  that  had  been  in  their  respective  houses 
during  periods  more  or  less  extended.  This  view  may 
be  held,  even  though  both  Lucy  Smith,  mother  of  the 
prophet,  and  David  Whitmer  suggest  that  the  **  exhi- 
bition" of  the  plates  to  the  eight  took  place  at  some 
date  after  the  experience  of  the  three  witnesses. 

The  ** Doctrine  and  Covenants." — In  beginning  the 
discussion  of  the  ** revelations"  to  Joseph  Smith  con- 
tained in  the  book  known  as  **  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants," our  author  expresses  the  opinion  that  they 
**are  not  adapted  to  suggest  a  divine  source";  that 
there  is  no  **  economical  dealing  with  the  real  point 
which  the  revelation  was  intended  to  enforce";  and 
that  the  *  *  Lord  who  gave  them  must  have  been  singu- 
larly lacking  in  business  capacity."  Without  at- 
tempting to  prejudice  the  reader's  mind,  one  might 
reasonably  ask  where  one  could  find  an  accredited 
*^ revelation"  that  embodies  the  opposites  of  the  de- 
fects indicated  by  our  author.  Such  opposing  virtues 
positively  do  not  belong  to  accepted  revelations  in  any 


90       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

appreciable  sense.  Thus,  even  with  full  knowledge 
of  the  Hebrew  tongue,  one  is  oftentimes  at  a  loss  to 
discover  the  intended  meaning  of  very  many  passages 
in  the  Prophets — one  need  read  only  three  or  four 
pages  in  any  of  them  to  realize  something  of  this  kind. 
'* Economical  dealing"  and  ^^ business  capacity"  are 
not  the  leading  characteristics,  no  matter  what  may 
be  the  explanation. 

** Divine  Source  Not  Suggested." — It  seems  almost 
unnecessary  to  remark  that  very  many  things 
are  actually  the  reverse  of  what  they  might  seem 
''adapted  to  suggest"  to  the  minds  of  '^ critical  test- 
ers." Even  the  Lord  of  Life  Himself  did  not  escape 
the  '^critical  tests"  of  His  contemporaries,  by  which 
it  was  conclusively  demonstrated — as  they  supposed — 
that  he  was  a  *' gluttonous  man  and  a  wine-bibber," 
that  he  had  '*a  devil  and  was  mad,"  and  that  he  was 
evidently  a  person  of  no  consequence  whatever,  since 
they  did  not  know  *'from  whence  He  was."  Evi- 
dently, in  His  person  and  behaviour,  He  was  ''not 
adapted  to  suggest  a  divine  source"  to  the  "ration- 
alists" of  the  time.  In  fact,  the  statement  that  a 
teaching  is  not  thus  adapted,  if  it  be  made  on  any 
other  ground  than  that  propounded  by  the  apostle — 
"every  spirit  that  confesseth  not  .  .  .  Jesus  Christ 
...  is  not  of  God" — ^is  not  only  unchristianly  in- 
tolerant, but  ignorantly  absurd. 

Core  of  the  Revelations. — In  any  study  of  the  pro- 
fessed revelations  of  Joseph  Smith — be  it  appreciative 
or  not — one  cannot  be  entirely  just  without  consciously 
recognizing  the  fact  that  the  fundamental  concept  at 
the  basis  of  them  all  is  that  God  is  immediately  and 
intimately  interested  in  the  everyday  life  of  each  man. 
Thus  it  happens  that  the  "commandments"  and  di- 
rections given  in  many  of  these  documents  are  sus- 
ceptible to  criticism  on  the  ground  of  seeming  unduly 
familiar,"  or  even  of  seeming  "to  bring  God  down 
to  the  level  of  mankind."  Some  have  exerted  them- 
selves in  criticizing  both  the  language  and  the  sub- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       91 

jects  treated;  evidently  considering  that  such  ''de- 
fects'' as  they  profess  to  have  discovered  must 
effectually  discredit  all  claims  to  divine  origin.  With- 
out attempting  to  support  any  conclusion  whatever 
regarding  their  origin  or  character,  one  must  insist 
that,  assuming  as  actual  such  intimate  divine  interest 
in  human  affairs,  it  would  be  difficult  to  maintain  a 
criticism  on  either  the  language  or  contents  of  any  of 
them.  This  seems  true  for  the  reason  that,  if  there 
are  to  be  any  revelations  at  all,  we  evidently  could 
not  suggest  any  more  appropriate  media  for  God's 
communications  to  manlnnd,  unless,  indeed,  we  con- 
tend that  university  English  could  be  the  only  form 
of  our  vernacular  proper  in  the  mouth  of  God,  or  that 
generalities  are  the  only  concerns  that  could  possibly 
occupy  His  mind.  At  any  rate,  we  find  revelations 
strongly  suggestive  of  those  repeated  by  Joseph  Smith, 
in  point  of  familiarity  of  speech  and  rigorous  in- 
sistence on  details  in  the  directions  for  the  building 
of  Noah's  ark,  of  the  tabernacle  in  the  wilderness,  for 
the  making  of  the  clothes  of  the  Jewish  High  Priest, 
etc.  Indeed,  any  infidel  ** rationalist,"  wishing  to 
dispose  of  the  provisions  of  these  Biblical  revelations, 
and  to  demonstrate  that  they  are  **not  adapted  to 
suggest  a  divine  origin,"  might  express  himself  in 
precisely  similar  language  to  that  used  by  our  author 
in  raging  against  ** Mormon  sacerdotalism": 

"It  pictures  God  as  inconceivably  narrow,  technical,  and 
lacking  in  magnanimity.  No  one  but  a  grand  master  of  red 
tape,  a  being  a  thousand  times  more  concerned  about  method 
than  about  the  interests  of  those  to  whom  the  method  ap- 
plies (cf.  Exodus  xxviii),  could  be  imagined  to  make  the 
destiny  of  the  race  depend  on  a  few  external  performances  of  a 
priesthood,  in  any  such  degree  and  manner  as  the  Mormon 
teaching  assumes,  (cf.  Numbers  xvi,  3  et  seq.)  It  is  al- 
most a  marvel  that  the  Latter  Day  Saints  themselves  can 
respect  a  God  who  rests  the  well-being  of  the  rational  and 
moral  creation  (cf.  Numbers  iii,  5—13)  on  that  ridiculously 
contracted  pedestal."     {cf.  Leviticus,   iv— vii.) 

"A  Smile  of  Incredulity. "—However,  in  treating 
of  the  revelations  of  Joseph  Smith,  our  author  con- 


92        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

eludes  that  many  of  them  are  adapted  'Ho  provoke  a 
smile  of  incredulity,"  and  remarks  that  'Hhings  of 
trivial  import,  matters  which  ordinary  common  sense 
and  decent  executive  ability  might  be  regarded  as 
competent  to  dispose  of,  are  paraded  with  the  solemn 
sanction  of  divine  mandates."  This  is  evidently  in- 
tended to  be  what  he  calls  a  ** scathing  criticism,"  but, 
on  the  basis  of  belief  in  the  divine  origin  in  any  part 
of  the  Mosaic  law,  it  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impos- 
sible, to  say  consistently  that  any  given  ** mandate" 
could  not  be  divine  in  origin  because  thus  endorsed 
by  common  sense,  executive  ability,  etc.  Several  con- 
spicuous ^* moral"  and  ceremonial  precepts  of  the 
Law  of  Moses  are  defended  principally  because  they 
are  ** sanitary." 

Faults  in  Revelations. — It  is  a  question,  however, 
as  to  whether  professed  revelations,  even  when  dic- 
tating merely  what  should  be  evident  to  *^  ordinary 
common  sense  and  decent  executive  ability,"  are  not, 
in  some  ways,  to  be  preferred  to  the  devious  meander- 
ings  of  ^* unassisted  reason."  Thus,  having  made  the 
biting  criticisms  above  quoted,  he  turns  to  the  consid- 
eration of  a  certain  **  revelation "  which,  as  he  claims, 
*' makes  a  mock  of  divine  knowledge  and  foresight." 
This  is  found  in  Section  10  of  the  *^  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants," and  refers  to  the  occasion  in  which  116  pages 
of  the  original  manuscript  of  the  ^'Book  of  Mormon" 
in  the  handwriting  of  Martin  Harris — ^he  had  tran- 
scribed them  at  the  dictation  of  Joseph  Smith — were 
taken  by  Harris  to  show  to  his  family,  and  never  re- 
turned. According  to  the  ** Mormon"  version  of  this 
incident,  the  consequence  was  that  the  divine  dis- 
pleasure was  visited  on  Joseph  Smith  himself,  who 
was  deprived  of  his  power  to  translate  the  plates,  and 
was  severely  upbraided  for  allowing  a  *' wicked  man" 
to  mislead  him  into  disobeying  the  former  command 
to  allow  no  one  to  take  the  translated  sheets  from 
him.  The  revelation  also  states  that  the  missing  pages 
had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  enemies  of  Smith,  who 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       93 

had  formed  a  plan  to  so  alter  them  that  they  would  be 
in  contrast  to  the  *'retranslation"  made  from  the 
same  source.  The  revelation  adds  also  that,  instead 
of  retranslating  from  certain  plates  said  to  contain 
only  an  abridgment  of  the  story  of  the  Nephites,  the 
new  matter  should  be  drawn  from  other  plates  con- 
taining the  full  account. 

Critical  Acumen. — According  to  the  view  general 
among  the  critics  of  Smith,  the  true  version  is  that 
the  pages  in  question  were  destroyed,  or  otherwise 
disposed  of,  by  Mrs.  Harris,  who  was  opposed  to  her 
husband's  interest  in  the  matter.  This  solution  of 
the  situation  our  author,  of  course,  believes  to  be  **the 
probable  conclusion.''  He  enlarges,  also,  on  the 
**(juandary"  into  which  Smith  was  ** thrown,''  by  his 
inability  to  supply  **an  exact  duplicate  of  the  lost 
pages" — even  though  he  was  merely  using  Spauld- 
ing's  alleged  manuscript,  as  our  friend  believes,  and 
in  the  end  produced  a  ^^ rendering' '  which  all  of 
Spaulding's  ''friends''  and  ''relatives"  recognized 
as  his  writing  "from  beginning  to  end" — and  the  fact 
that  **he  availed  himself  of  a  *  revelation'  which 
warned  him  that  designing  men  had  planned  to 
change  and  pervert  the  contents  of  the  missing  pages," 
etc.,  etc.  He  reaches  the  apogee  in  the  following 
display  of  ** rationalistic"  acumen: 

"How  could  these  designing  men  tamper  with  the  writing 
on  the  specilied  pages  without  leaving  the  marks  of  their 
tampering?  and  how  could  they  expect  to  accomplish  anything 
without  producing  the  precise  manuscript  which  Harris  took 
away  and  which  was  in  his  own  handwriting?  How  could 
they  make  an  abusive  use  of  a  manuscript  which  all  the  known 
facts  indicate  was  beyond  the  use  or  abuse  of  any  party  out- 
side the  Harris  domicile?  Manifestly,  the  Lord  who  dictated 
the  given  revelation  had  no  knowledge  of  the  actual  condi- 
tions." 

The  unfriendly  reference  to  ''the  Lord"  is  about 
the  only  thing  in  this  passage  that  has  any  bearing 
at  all  on  the  matter  in  hand.  It  reveals  the  fact  that, 
so  far  as  **Mormonism"  is  concerned,  at  least,  our 


94        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

reverend  critic  *' would  not  believe  though  one  rose 
from  the  dead." 

Text  of  the  Document. — Of  course,  to  the  human 
reasoner  of  the  year  1915,  the  particular  revelation  in 
discussion  may  not  appear  as  the  most  evidently  *' di- 
vine utterance''  that  he  has  ever  read — if,  indeed,  he 
considers  himself  able  to  discriminate  a  ' '  divine  utter- 
ance" from  something  otherwise.  It  may  even  occur 
to  him  to  ask  why  such  a  revelation  was  needed  at  all, 
even  under  the  conditions  supposed  by  our  author. 
The  same  question,  however,  might  be  asked  in  a  num- 
ber of  cases  quite  unrelated  to  the  '^Mormon"  discus- 
sion. Suffice  it  to  say,  however,  the  document  con- 
tains no  such  implications  as  our  author  reads  into  it. 
The  following  is  the  text  of  the  portion  in  ques- 
tion: 

"Because  you  have  delivered  the  writings  into  his  [Martin 
Harris']  hands,  behold,  wicked  men  have  taken  them  from 
you.  .  .  .  And,  behold,  Satan  has  put  it  into  their  hearts  to 
alter  the  words  which  you  have  caused  to  be  written.  .  .  .  Be- 
cause they  have  altered  the  words,  they  read  contrary  from 
that  which  you  translated  and  caused  to  be  written;  and,  on 
this  wise,  the  devil  has  sought  to  lay  a  cunning  plan,  that  he 
may  destroy  this  work;  for  he  has  put  it  into  their  hearts  to 
do  this,  that  by  lying  they  may  say  that  they  have  caught 
you  in  the  words  which  you  have  pretended  to  translate. 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  that  I  will  not  suffer  that  Satan  shall 
accomplish  his  evil  design  in  this  thing,  for,  behold,  he  has 
put  it  into  their  hearts  to  get  thee  to  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God,  in  asking  to  translate  it  over  again;  and  then,  behold, 
they  say  and  think  in  their  hearts,  we  will  see  if  God  has 
given  him  power  to  translate,  if  so,  he  will  also  give  him 
power  again;  and  if  God  giveth  him  power  again,  or  if  he 
translates  again,  or  in  other  words,  if  he  bringeth  forth  the 
same  words,  behold,  we  have  the  same  with  us,  and  we  have 
altered  them:  therefore  they  will  not  agree,  and  we  will  say 
that  he  has  lied  in  his  words,  and  that  he  has  no  gift,  and 
that  he  has  no  power:  therefore,  we  will  destroy  him,  and 
also  the  work." — Doc.  d  Gov,  Sec.  x.,  8-19. 

All  That  It  States. — As  may  be  seen,  this  passage 
merely  asserts  that  certain  men  had  formed  a  plan  of 
thus  manipulating  the  missing  pages,  in  order  to 
*' catch"  Smith  in  a  '* quandary. "    It  might  seem  to 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       95 

be  a  rather  probable  attempt  in  such  circumstances — 
almost  as  good  a  **joke,"  in  fact,  as  the  alleged  prepa- 
ration and  burial  of  the  Kinderhook  plates  by  a  cer- 
tain Fulgate,  whose  long  delay  in  acknowledging  the 
*'hoax''  is,  we  are  told,  a  condition  **far  from  dis- 
posing of  the  sworn  statement."  There  can  be  no 
question,  then,  as  to  *'how"  these  people  could  alter 
the  writing  ** without  leaving  the  marks,'*  or  as  to 
**how''  they  might  ** expect  to  accomplish  anything,*' 
except  by  exhibiting  the  manuscript,  which  Harris, — 
an  expert  chirographist  for  the  nonce, — ^would  detect. 
Such  considerations  do  not  alter  the  fact  that  certain 
men  might  have  attempted  to  do  the  very  thing  speci- 
fied. Certainly,  the  success  of  Howe  and  Hurlburt, 
armed  only  with  Spaulding's  wretched  manuscript,  in 
creating  so  ** strong"  a  case  for  their  theory  that  even 
a  man  of  the  acumen  of  our  critic  fails  to  discover  its 
essential  rottenness,  should  embolden  anyone  to  at- 
tempt even  the  stupid  job  of  altering  a  manuscript. 
Nor  need  we  be  deterred  by  the  **  probable  conclu- 
sion" that  the  pages  in  question  were  **  beyond  the 
use  or  abuse  of  any  party  outside  the  Harris  domi- 
cile." We  find  no  statement  that  the  ** parties"  con- 
cerned were  outside  that  domicile.  It  is  stated  by 
Joseph  Smith  that  he  gave  Harris  permission,  '*  after 
much  solicitation,"  to  show  the  pages  **only  to  his 
brother.  Preserved  Harris,  his  own  wife,  bis  father 
and  his  mother,  and  a  Mrs.  Cobb,  a  sister  to  his  wife" 
{History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I,  p.  21),  although,  as 
stated,  **he  did  show  them  to  others."  The  pages 
may  never  have  gone  outside  his  house. 

Another  Critical  Test. — Turning  from  these  *' how- 
could"  and  ** might-have"  questions  propounded  by 
our  critic,  we  may  apply  a  critical  test  on  the  other 
side  of  the  controversy,  and  adduce  **  internal  evi- 
dences" to  assist  our  judgment  on  the  possible  credi- 
bility of  this  particular  ** revelation."  Of  course,  if 
Smith  had  prepared  other  116  pages,  exact  duplicates 
of  the  first,  it  would  have  been  possible  for  our  author 


96       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

and  others  to  allege  this  fact  as  ''evidence''  that  he 
was  all  the  time  reading  from  the  edited  manuscript 
of  Solomon  Spaulding,  and  that  the  achievement  was 
**only  too  simple."  If,  on  the  other  hand,  Harris' 
original  writing  had  been  preserved,  altered  or  not,  it 
is  only  fair  to  suppose  that  many  old  ''neighbors," 
and  other  persons  of  avouched  "integrity  and  reli- 
ability, ' '  could  have  been  found  to  support  some  pres- 
entation of  the  affair  that  would  have  been  discredit- 
able to  Smith.  The  document  under  consideration 
continues  the  subject  as  follows : 

"Behold,  I  say  unto  you,  that  you  shaU  not  translate  again 
those  words  which  have  gone  forth  out  of  your  hands;  for,  .  .  . 
remember  it  was  said  in  those  writings  that  a  more  particular 
account  was  given  of  those  things  upon  the  plates  of  Nephi. 
.  .  .  Therefore,  you  shall  translate  the  engravings  which  are 
on  the  plates  of  Nephi,  down  even  till  you  come  to  the  reign 
of  King  Benjamin,  or  until  you  come  to  that  which  you  have 
translated,  which  you  have  retained;  and  behold,  you  shall 
publish  it  as  the  record  of  Nephi,  and  thus  I  will  confound 
those  who  have  altered  my  words.  .  .  .  Behold,  they  have  only 
got  a  part,  or  an  abridgment  of  the  account  of  Nephi." — Sec. 
X,  30-31,  39,  41-42,  44. 

The  "reign  of  King  Benjamin"  mentioned  above  is 
not  reached  until  the  end  of  the  156th  page  of  the 
ordinary  edition  of  the  "Book  of  Mormon,"  where 
it  is  stated,  "I,  Amaleki,  was  born  in  the  days  of 
Mosiah ;  and  I  have  lived  to  see  his  death ;  and  Benja- 
min, his  .son,  reigneth  in  his  stead"  (Omni,  vs.  23). 
The  story  does  not  begin,  however,  until  the  158th 
page,  with  the  chapter  entitled  "The  Words  of  Mor- 
mon." With  157  pages,  therefore,  including,  on  the 
average,  425  words  to  the  page,  we  have  a  total  of 
nearly  67,000  words.  If  the  passage  above  quoted 
asserts,  as  seems  to  be  the  case,  that  the  "reign  of 
King  Benjamin"  marked  the  limit  of  the  matter 
given  to  Harris,  we  find  that  there  was  a  very  de- 
cided "abridgment"  in  this  116  pages.  An  ordinary 
untrained  writer  can  get  about  200  words  on  a  sheet 
of  "foolscap"  paper.  This  would  give  us,  for  the 
116  pages,  a  total  of  about  23,000  words,  somewhat 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CEITICALLY       97 

more  than  one-third  the  total  for  the  matter  preced- 
ing this  episode  in  the  *'Book  of  Mormon,"  as  we 
have  it.  It  should  fill  about  55  pages  of  a  printed 
book  of  the  size  of  the  edition  of  the  '*Book  of  Mor- 
mon" given  above.  So  there  was  either  an  **  abridg- 
ment" or  an  **  enlargement. "  Let  our  friends  tell  us 
which  it  must  have  been. 

'*  Empty  Vaporings." — Our  critic  then  proceeds  to 
discuss  certain  ''predictions  which  the  course  of  events 
has  stamped  as  empty  vaporings."  Among  these  he 
specifies  the  passage,  ''Not  many  days  hence  the  earth 
shall  tremble  and  reel  to  and  fro  as  a  drunken  man, 
and  the  sun  shall  hide  his  face."  [But,  as  he  tells 
us,  nothing  of  the  kind  has  yet  occurred:  therefore. 
Smith  vapored  emptily.]  He  also  finds  "an  equally 
poor  venture"  in  the  apparent  prediction  of  the  im- 
pending destruction  of  New  York,  Albany,  and  Bos- 
ton made  in  Section  Ixxxiv,  112-115.  [Of  course, 
these  cities  are  still  standing:  ergo,  etc.,  etc.]  The 
unfairness  of  his  "condemnations"  will  be  apparent 
on  quoting  the  passages.     Thus : 

"Abide  ye  in  the  liberty  wherewith  ye  are  made  free;  en- 
tangle not  yourselves  in  sin,  but  let  your  hands  be  clean,  until 
the  Lord  come;  For  not  many  days  hence  and  the  earth  shall 
tremble  and  reel  to  and  fro  as  a  drunken  man,  and  the  sun 
shall  hide  his  face,  and  shall  refuse  to  give  light,  and  the 
moon  shall  be  bathed  in  blood,  and  the  stars  shall  become  ex- 
ceeding angry,  and  shall  cast  themselves  down  as  a  fig  that 
falleth  from  off  a  fig  tree.  And  after  your  testimony  cometh 
wrath  and  indignation  upon  the  people;  for  after  your  tes- 
timony cometh  the  testimony  of  earthquakes,  that  shall  cause 
groanings  in  the  midst  of  her,  and  men  shall  fall  upon  the 
ground,  and  shall  not  be  able  to  stand.  And  also  cometh  the 
testimony  of  the  voice  of  thunderings,  and  the  voice  of  light- 
nings, and  the  voice  of  the  waves  of  the  sea,  heaving  them- 
selves beyond  their  bounds." — Sec.  Ixxxvii,  86-90. 

There  is  no  need  to  quote  more  to  show  that  these 
references  are  made  clearly  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
But,  in  spite  of  their  positive  eloquence  and  real 
literary  merit,  one  passage  is  torn  from  its  context 
and  held  up  as  an  example  of  "fake  prophesying." 


98        THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

Why  is  it  necessary  to  abuse  facts  and  evidence,  in 
order  to  discredit  a  *' false  prophet'^ ? 

New  York  Still  Standing. — A  very  similar  line  of 
comment  is  evoked  by  the  second  example  above 
quoted.  In  this  case  also,  a  passage  from  the  text 
will  show  the  real  meaning.     Thus: 

"And  the  bishop,  Newel  K.  Whitney,  also,  should  travel 
round  about  and  among  all  the  churches,  searching  after  the 
poor  to  administer  to  their  wants  by  humbling  the  rich  and 
the  proud;  .  .  .  Nevertheless,  let  the  bishop  go  unto  the  city 
of  New  York,  also  to  the  city  of  Albany,  and  also  to  the  city 
of  Boston,  and  warn  the  people  of  those  cities  with  the  sound 
of  the  gospel,  with  a  loud  voice,  of  the  desolation  and  utter 
abolishment  which  await  them  if  they  do  reject  these  things; 
for  if  they  do  reject  these  things  the  hour  of  their  judgment 
is  nigh,  and  their  house  shall  be  left  unto  them  desolate.  .  .  . 
And  verily  I  say  unto  you,  the  rest  of  my  servants,  go  ye 
forth  as  your  circumstances  shall  permit,  in  your  several 
callings  unto  the  great  and  notable  cities  and  villages,  re- 
proving the  world  in  righteousness  of  all  their  imrighteous 
and  imgodly  deeds,  setting  forth  clearly  and  understandingly 
the  desolation  of  abomination  in  the  last  days/' — Sec.  Ixxxiv, 
112,  114,  115,  117. 

If  the  context  of  this  passage  can  be  made  to  imply 
any  other  reference  than  to  the  end  of  the  world,  or 
to  an  indefinite  future,  it  will  be  in  place  for  a  rational 
man  to  comment  on  it  as  a  **poor  venture  in  prophe- 
sying." There  was  probably  an  excellently  good  use 
of  this  very  kind  of  * '  criticism, ' '  when,  as  we  read  of 
a  certain  august  event  in  human  history,  '^  false  wit- 
nesses" accused  the  Saviour  of  saying,  **I  am  able  to 
destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  build  it  in  three  days." 
Such  twistings  and  misrepresentations  of  the  words  of 
another  man  are  dreadful  crimes,  even  against  a 
proved   criminal,    even   against   a   ** false   prophet." 

**The  Borders  of  the  Burlesque." — A  few  more 
books  like  the  one  under  discussion,  and  the  public 
will  have  an  opportunity  to  see  how  great  and  able 
a  man  has,  for  so  long  a  period,  been  hidden  from 
view  beneath  an  overwhelming  load  of  lying  **  affi- 
davits" and  of  false  charges  made  by  implacable  ene- 
mies.   People  will  then  understand  that  the  wrath  of 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CEITICALLY       99 

a  nation  has  not  been  leveled  at  a  person  of  ''indolent 
and  vagabondish  character, ' '  but  at  a  giant,  of  whom, 
be  he  good  or  evil,  his  enemies  have  always  been  sorely 
afraid.  Yet,  some  of  them  affect  to  laugh  at  his  ut- 
terances.   Thus : 

"The  borders  of  the  burlesque  are  sometimes  approached, 
not  to  say  plainly  crossed  over,  as,  for  instance,  in  the  revela- 
tion ordering  the  details  of  a  stock  company  and  the  erection 
of  a  boarding  house  at  Nauvoo." 

A  Boarding  House  Built ! — Of  course,  with  proper 
handling  of  materials,  almost  any  subject  may  be 
presented  in  a  ludicrous  light.  Indeed,  as  may  be 
said,  some  things  to  be  ridiculed  need  only  be  de- 
scribed: other  things  must  be  misrepresented  or  bur- 
lesqued. At  first  sight,  it  may  seem  very  absurd  that 
a  revelation  should  be  given  **  ordering  the  erection  of 
a  boarding  house."  It  may  seem  fairly  uproarious, 
also,  that  sundry  persons  should  be  required  to  **take 
stock"  in  the  enterprise.  Boarders  might  have 
seemed  more  important  than  shareholders.  Again, 
however,  must  our  risibilities  be  suppressed,  and  our 
*'just  disdain"  be  confounded  by  quotation  from  the 
original  text.    Thus: 

"Let  my  servant  George,  and  my  servant  Lyman,  and  my 
servant  John  Snyder,  and  others,  build  a  house  unto  my  name, 
such  an  one  as  my  servant  Joseph  shall  show  imto  them; 
upon  the  place  which  he  shall  show  unto  them  also.  And  it 
shall  be  for  a  house  for  boarding,  a  house  that  strangers  may 
come  from  afar  to  lodge  therein;  therefore  let  it  be  a  good 
house,  worthy  of  all  acceptation,  that  the  weary  traveler  may 
find  health  and  safety  while  he  shall  contemplate  the  word 
of  the  Lord;  and  the  corner  stone  I  have  appointed  for  Zion. 
.  .  .  And  let  the  name  of  that  house  be  called  Nauvoo  house, 
and  let  it  be  a  delightful  habitation  for  man,  for  a  resting 
place  for  the  weary  traveler,  that  he  may  contemplate  the 
glory  of  Zion,  and  the  glory  of  this  corner-stone  thereof;  that 
he  may  receive  also  the  counsel  from  those  whom  I  have  set 
to  be  as  plants  of  renown,  and  as  watchmen  upon  her  walls." 
—Doc.  d  Gov.  Sec.  cxxiv,  22-23,  60-61. 

The  expression  ''comer-stone  of  Zion"  refers  to 
the  city  of  Nauvoo,  and  not  to  the  house  in  discussion. 
The  balance  of  the  document  between  the  passages 


100       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

quoted  relates  to  the  building  of  the  temple.  Later 
certain  persons,  among  them  Joseph  Smith  himself, 
are  directed  to  contribute  to  the  building  of  the 
** boarding  house.''  So  the  ludicrous  element  con- 
sists entirely  in  the  use  of  a  term,  *^ boarding  house," 
which  is  a  familiar  and  very  commonplace  combina- 
tion. Its  associations  are  sufficient  to  blind  the  eyes 
of  a  man  '*of  great  industry  and  broad  learning"  to 
the  fact  that  the  objects  in  contemplation  were  the 
reverse  of  trivial  and  commercial.  The  object  was 
quite  as  necessary  and  quite  as  laudable  as  that  pre- 
scribed, by  divine  command,  relating  to  the  **  cities 
of  refuge"  among  the  Israelites  (Numbers  xxxv). 
Furthermore,  these  same  cities  had,  as  a  part  of  their 
functions,  precisely  the  same  provision  of  a  home  for 
strangers  as  our  critic  finds  so  ** ludicrous"  in  this 
connection.  (See  Numbers  xxxv,  15.)  If  ** everyone 
that  killeth  any  person  unawares"  is  to  be  provided 
with  a  refuge,  why  is  it  absurd  that  suitable  quarters 
should  be  prescribed  for  *Hhe  weary  traveler  .  .  . 
while  he  shall  contemplate  the  word  of  the  Lord"? 

''Truly  Ridiculous." — Still,  our  author  insists  on 
continuing  his  ridicule  of  the  beliefs  of  some  of  his 
fellow-men,  perfectly  well  aware  that  there  is  nothing 
** funny"  about  his  own  beliefs.     Thus: 

"Truly  ridiculous  is  that  revelation  made  to  appear  which 
appointed  John  Whitmer  historian"  (D.  and  C.  xlvii)  "when 
it  is  joined  with  the  subsequent  dismissal  of  the  appointee 
with  this  contemptuous  characterization  of  him  by  Smith  and 
Rigdon:  'We  never  supposed  you  capable  of  writing  a  his- 
tory.*" [Reference  to  Millennial  Star,  xvi,  p.  133;  cited  hy 
Linn,  p.   114.] 

Why  does  our  author,  and  his  mentor,  Mr.  Linn, 
also,  consider  this  matter  so  *Hruly  ridiculous"?  If 
the  document  were  a  divine  revelation,  how  is  the  per- 
sonal opinion  of  ** Smith  and  Rigdon"  quotable 
against  its  provisions?  The  obvious  answer  is  that, 
from  the  standpoint  of  ** reason,"  one  would  suppose 
that  a  divine  appointment  to  any  office  would  involve 
no  miscarriages  of  judgment,  such  as  would  evoke  the 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY      101 

kind  of  *' contemptuous  characterization"  just  quoted. 
In  the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  however,  we  find  that 
this  is  not  the  case — ^whatever  may  be  the  explanation. 
Poor  Mr.  Whitmer's  failure  in  the  office  of  historian 
— it  seems,  indeed,  to  have  consisted  in  his  apostasy, 
following  dissatisfaction  on  other  grounds  than  his 
inability  **to  write  a  history" — ^was  a  small  matter 
by  the  side  of  Judas  Iscariot's  failure  in  the  office  of 
apostle.  Nor  did  any  say  to  Judas,  *'We  never  sup- 
posed you  capable, ' '  etc.,  since,  as  we  are  told,  he  had 
already  gone  **to  his  own  place."  Before  we  fling 
sarcasm  against  such  cases  as  that  of  Whitmer,  let  us 
grapple  with  the  problem  of  Judas,  and  the  reason 
for  his  call  to  the  apostleship.  Even  with  the  recog- 
nition of  his  predestined  part  in  the  tragedy  of 
Christ's  betrayal  and  death — and  he  had  the  grace  at 
least  to  repent  his  act,  even  if  he  hanged  himself — 
** reason"  can  unearth  no  clear  explanation  of  the 
necessity  of  including  him  among  the  apostles.  Christ 
Himself  is  believed  to  have  made  reference  to  him, 
when  He  said,  **and  one  of  you  is  a  devil"  (i.e.  an 
**  adversary"). 

Unfulfilled  Prognostications. — As  we  have  shown 
before  this,  the  attempt  to  deal  with  revelations  or 
with  professed  revelations,  after  the  manner  of  ordi- 
nary concerns  of  life — by  the  data  of  ** reason" — must 
be  a  failure.  If  there  is  no  revelation  whatever,  the 
arguments  used  by  our  author  are  perfectly  well 
taken.  If,  however,  there  is  any  revelation,  in  the 
Bible  or  elsewhere,  it  would  be  difficult,  indeed,  to  see 
how  that  any  professed,  or  pretended,  revelations 
could  be  discredited,  because  of  apparent  failure  to 
meet  conditions  known  to  us.  The  true  test  is  a  very 
different  one.  Still,  we  read  passages  like  the  fol- 
lowing : 

"That  a  man  much  given  to  prophesying  should  occasion- 
ally make  an  approach  to  picturing  a  future  unfoldment  is 
no  ground  for  surprise.  We  are  therefore  far  from  discover- 
ing in  Joseph  Smith's  alleged  prediction  respecting  the  Civil 


102      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

War  (D.  &  C.  Ixxxvii)  any  token  of  prophetical  vocation. 
Not  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  the  prediction  seems  not 
to  have  been  published  till  long  after  its  ostensible  date 
(December  25,  1832),  it  could  easily  have  been  suggested  by 
the  slavery  agitation  going  on  at  that  time,  and  especially 
by  the  nullification  ordinance  of  South  Carolina,  which  was 
passed  in  that  very  year  and  was  a  matter  for  earnest  dis- 
cussion at  the  time  the  revelation  purports  to  have  been  given. 
Moreover,  the  forecast  of  the  Civil  War  was  conjoined  with 
prognostications  that  had  no  fulfillment.  What  really  is 
disclosed  here  is  a  pretender  whose  venture  happened  to  be 
partially  successful." 

The  text  of  the  document  under  discussion  is  as 
follows : 

"Verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning  the  wars  that  will 
shortly  come  to  pass,  beginning  at  the  rebellion  of  South 
Carolina,  which  will  eventually  terminate  in  the  death  and 
misery  of  many  souls.  .  .  .  For  behold,  the  Southern  States 
shall  be  divided  against  the  Northern  States,  and  the  Southern 
States  will  call  on  other  nations,  even  the  nation  of  Great 
Britain,  as  it  is  called,  and  they  shall  also  call  upon  other 
nations,  in  order  to  defend  themselves  against  other 
nations;  and  thus  war  shall  be  poured  out  upon  all  nations. 
And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  after  many  days,  slaves  shall  rise 
up  against  their  masters,  who  shall  be  marshalled  and  dis- 
ciplined for  war:  and  it  shall  come  to  pass  also,  that  the 
remnants  who  are  left  of  the  land  will  marshal  themselves, 
and  shall  become  exceeding  angry,  and  shall  vex  the  Gentiles 
with  a  sore  vexation;  .  .  .  Wherefore,  stand  ye  in  holy  places, 
and  be  not  moved,  until  the  day  of  the  Lord  come;  for  behold 
it  Cometh  quickly,  saith  the  Lord.  Amen." — Sec.  Ixxxviii,  I, 
3-5,  8. 

Of  course,  the  reader  is  at  liberty  to  see  here  a  refer- 
ence to  the  Civil  "War,  which  began  with  the  secession 
of  South  Carolina,  or  merely  a  lot  of  possibilities 
based  on  the  *' nullification"  of  1832.  We  cannot  fail 
to  remember,  however,  that  there  were  serious  com- 
plications with  foreign  powers  following  the  close  of 
the  conflict;  some  of  which,  like  the  Alabama  claims 
controversy,  might  have  led  to  bloodshed.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  document  seems  to  refer  to  the  **last 
times,''  and  its  relevance  to  the  preceding  portion  is 
not  completely  obvious.  [In  some  connections  such  a 
fact  would  be  held  to  argue  that  portions  of  the  docu- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY      103 

ment  had  been  lost.]  Before  seeing  here,  neverthe- 
less, a  ''pretender*'  and  a  ''partially  successful"  ven- 
ture at  prophesying,  it  would  be  well  to  remark  that 
very  many  prophecies  concerning  the  troubles  that,  as 
stated,  will  "shortly  come''  upon  the  earth,  are  by  no 
means  completely  fulfilled.  We  read  in  Matthew 
xxiv,  3-44,  a  lengthy  prophecy  of  the  last  times,  ac- 
companied with  predictions  of  stars  darkened  and 
severe  upheavals,  probably  earthquakes,  and  the  clear 
statement  that  the  Son  of  Man  should  then  appear. 
Furthermore,  it  is  distinctly  stated  that  "this  gener- 
ation shall  not  pass,  till  all  these  things  be  fulfilled." 
Now,  it  is  not  perfectly  obvious  that  these  predictions 
have  been  realized,  even  on  the  supposition,  made  by 
some  expositors,  that  they  refer  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  by  Titus.  An  "infidel"  critic  might  add  in 
the  very  words  of  our  author,  that  this  "forecast  .  .  . 
was  conjoined  with  prognostications  that  had  no  ful- 
fillment." 

Polygamy  Reached. — One  notable  thing  about  the 
book  under  discussion  is  that  the  author  says  nothing 
about  "polygamy"  until  the  78th  page — there  are 
only  151  in  all — and  then  introduces  it  as  an  "evi- 
dence" of  inconsistency,  as  showing  a  flat  contradic- 
tion to  the  principles  stated  in  the  "Book  of  Mormon" 
(Jacob  ii,  27-28)  and  of  the  "Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants" (Sec.  xlii,  22).  It  may  be  that,  as  between 
these  utterances  and  those  of  the  revelation  of  July  12, 
1843  ("D.  &  C."  cxxxii),  there  really  is  such  a  con- 
flict that,  as  our  author  remarks,  "no  wit  of  man  can 
reconcile  them."  As  already  seen,  the  "wit  of  man" 
is  by  no  means  the  highest  judge  in  the  matter  of  reve- 
lations. It  will  be  unnecessary,  therefore,  to  attempt 
a  "reconciliation."  If,  however,  we  are  desirous  of 
being  really  critical,  and  not  merely  captious,  the 
following  passage  from  Joseph  Smith's  journal  may 
be  of  assistance  in  obtaining  his  point  of  view  on  this 
particular  point.     He  writes: 

**Gave  instructions  to  try  those  persons  who  are  preaching, 


104      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

teaching,  or  practicing  the  doctrine  of  plurality  of  wives ;  for, 
according  to  the  law,  *I  hold  the  keys  of  this  power  in  the 
last  days;  for  there  is  never  but  one  on  earth  at  a  time  on 
whom  the  power  and  its  keys  are  conferred;  and  I  have  con- 
stantly said  no  man  shall  have  hut  one  wife  at  a  time,  unless 
the  Lord  directs  otherwise.'^ — History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  vi, 
p.  46.      (Oct.  5,  1843.) 

The  statements  in  this  passage  seem  to  be  in  accord 
with  the  '* revelation"  permitting  plural  marriage 
C^Doc.  and  Gov."  cxxxii,  39),  dated  July  12,  1843, 
in  which  it  is  distinctly  stated  that  David  took  his 
many  wives  under  the  authorization  of  '*  Nathan,  my 
servant,  and  others  of  the  prophets  who  had  the  keys 
of  this  power"  {i.e.  of  permitting  a  man  to  marry 
more  wives  than  one  at  a  time) .  This  point  illustrates 
an  important  difference,  in  the  ** Mormon"  view,  be- 
tween authorized  plural  marriage  and  *' spiritual 
wifery,"  and  other  irregular  unions  with  more  than 
one  woman  at  a  time.  This  subject  will  be  more  fully 
explained  at  a  later  place. 

Content  of  the  Revelations. — In  reading  such  a 
book  as  we  have  been  discussing,  the  general  unin- 
formed reader  might  reasonably  conclude  that  the 
book  of  ** Doctrine  and  Covenants"  is  merely  a  col- 
lection of  doubtful  attempts  at  prediction,  coupled 
with  a  number  of  trivial  matters,  commercial  concerns, 
etc.,  made  impressive  by  the  alleged  sanction  of  di- 
vine authority.  The  truth  of  the  matter  is  that  the 
few  passages  chosen  for  ** criticism"  by  our  author 
are  far  from  being  typical  of  the  book  or  of  its  con- 
tents, just  as  predictions  and  business  matters,  even 
of  the  most  essential  variety,  are  by  far  the  smallest 
part  of  any  valid  system  of  religion.  The  test  of  the 
real  religious  leader  is  not  to  be  found  in  his  per- 
suasive powers,  his  influence  with  people,  his  ability 
as  an  executive,  nor  even  in  his  assumed  power  of 
foretelling  the  future.  It  should  be  sought  in  his 
actual  contributions  to  the  life  of  righteousness  and 
in  helpful  lights  on  God's  will  and  governance.    Any 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY      105 

really  critical  test  should  include  a  full  consideration 
of  these  matters. 

Peculiar  Merits. — In  order,  therefore,  to  supple- 
ment the  deficiencies  shown  by  our  author  as  a  quali- 
fied critic,  we  will  proceed  to  show  that  the  con- 
clusions, which  he  professes  to  draw  from  a  few 
(apparently)  carefully-selected  passages,  are  neither 
accurate,  critical  nor  fair.  "Whatever  may  have  been 
the  character  and  motives  of  Joseph  Smith,  or  of 
any  of  his  associates,  whatever  may  be  said  for  or 
against  the  Church  founded  by  him,  or  against  the 
people  composing  it,  or  against  any  of  the  beliefs  that 
they  may  hold,  the  fact  remains  that  a  really  critical 
test  must  involve  a  distinct  recognition  that  the  col- 
lection of  documents  included  in  the  book  of  **  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants'*  possess  a  singular  merit  of  their 
own,  when  considered  as  means  of  teaching  doctrine, 
imparting  counsel,  or  promulgating  standards  of  con- 
duct. In  many  places,  also,  superior  literary  merit 
may  be  discerned,  in  spite  of  sundry  errors  of  diction, 
etc.,  which  seem  to  have  crept  into  the  copy.  The 
conclusion  to  be  drawn  from  these  facts,  after  a  critical 
test  that  is  really  and  intelligently  critical,  is  that 
these  documents  were  prepared  and  published  by  an 
intelligent,  even  a  singularly  intelligent,  man,  who  is 
honestly  interested  in  advocating  a  high  standard  of 
sentiment  and  conduct,  and  who,  whatever  may  have 
been  his  personal  defects  in  any  particular,  positively 
does  not  appear  as  a  vulgar  and  corrupt  charlatan, 
nor  even  as  a  man  who  exercised  his  gifts  of  leader- 
ship for  any  but  the  worthiest  ends. 

Economic  Solutions. — In  this  connection  it  is  in 
place  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that,  in  the  founda- 
tion of  the  so-called  United  Order,  or  Order  of  Enoch, 
in  1832,  Joseph  Smith  actually  encompassed  the  end 
of  solving  the  persistent  problem  of  poverty  in  the 
principle  of  ** consecrated  property,"  administered  by 
each  man  for  the  benefit  of  the  community,  himself 


106      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

included.  This  lofty  ideal,  which  was  partially 
brought  to  actual  realization  through  considerations 
of  a  peculiarly  religious  character,  proclaims  at  once 
the  earnest  and  able  thinker  and  reformer,  even  if  not 
the  prophet,  as  is  claimed.  These  principles,  highly 
suggestive  and  consistently  Christian,  may  be  read 
and  understood  from  Sections  78,  82,  and  104  of  the 
'* Doctrine  and  Covenants."  They  deserve  better 
from  candid  minds  than  to  be  left  concealed  behind 
the  obscuring  raillery  of  religious  and  economic  im- 
potence. Even  when  this  principle  of  **  consecrated 
property '^  was  found  to  be  too  *' radical''  a  measure 
for  the  world  of  the  present  day,  a  substitute  was 
promulgated  in  the  doctrine  of  tithing,  an  institution 
which  has  been  consistently  maintained  even  to  the 
present,  voluntarily  and  entirely  without  compulsion, 
by  all  consistent  adherents  of  the  system  founded  on 
the  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith.  Of  course  the  ene- 
mies of  ^^Mormonism"  have  enlarged  upon  the  '^op- 
pression'' of  the  people,  which,  as  they  allege  without 
competent  proof  has  been  practised  in  the  carrying 
out  of  this  custom,  but  the  fact  remains,  curiously 
enough,  that  certain  other  bodies,  notably  the  Meth- 
odist, have  seriously  considered  adopting  the  institu- 
tion of  tithing  for  the  support  of  their  own  activities. 
Several  books  on  the  subject  have  been  published,  and 
may  be  purchased  from  Methodist  book-sellers.  Why 
the  principle  should  be  *' righteous, "  when  advocated 
by  Methodist  writers  and  discussed  by  Methodist 
ecclesiastics,  but  an  *' evidence  of  oppression,"  etc., 
etc.,  when  practiced  consistently  and  successfully  by 
Latter-day  Saints,  is  a  question  that  demands  an  an- 
swer from  some  intelligent  critic  of  religious  doctrines 
and  institutions.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however, 
that  the  ** Mormons"  have  always  held  that  the  insti- 
tution is  of  divine  establishment  solely  upon  the  au- 
thority of  this  same  book  of  **  Doctrine  and  Cove- 
nants" (Sec.  109),  in  which  numerous  fault-finders, 
miscalled   '^ critics,"   have   found   the   *' patent   evi- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY       107 

dences"  of  sham  and  fraud,  which  we  have  discussed 
above. 

The  '*Word  of  Wisdom.*'— But  the  actual  value  of 
the  doctrine  that,  in  the  perfectly-restored  Church  of 
Christ,  which  the  Mormon  Church  claims  to  be,  there 
must  be  a  restoration  also  of  authoritative  revelations 
and  the  other  *' gifts  of  the  spirit,*'  so  often  discussed 
by  St.  Paul,  but  so  persistently  discredited  by  certain 
religious  sects  among  us,  is  to  be  seen  in  the  per- 
sistent and  effective  imperative  inhering  in  revela- 
tions touching  conduct.  Thus,  while  the  mass  of  the 
so-called  **  Christian"  world — as  if  there  could  be  a 
*' Christian  world"  that  was  not  ** conformed"  to 
Christ — is  struggling  with  ** social,"  ** economic,"  and 
** moral"  problems  that  should  never  have,  emerged 
in  communities  of  rational,  let  alone  ** sanctified," 
human  beings,  we  find  that  a  large  and  representative 
portion  of  the  Mormon  Church  membership  maintain 
a  consistent  adherence  to  the  principles  of  temperance, 
as  relates  to  the  harmful  use  of  alcohol,  tobacco,  tea, 
coffee,  and  even  meat  foods.  That  this  is  true  is 
eminently  well  attested  by  such  candid  writers  as 
Phil  Robinson,  Gunnison,  Stansbury,  Charles  Ellis, 
and  Dyer  D.  Lum,  all  non-Mormons.  Even  the  writer 
under  discussion,  as  the  result,  we  may  assume,  of 
some  study  of  the  subject,  admits  (p.  147):  **A 
rather  favorable  report  may  indeed  be  made  respect- 
ing their  temperance  habits  and  business  honesty," 
offset,  however,  as  he  asserts,  by  alleged  **easy  di- 
vorces" and  occasional  ** forced  marriages" — neither 
of  which  are  peculiar  to  **Mormonism."  We  may 
seek,  therefore,  for  the  real  source  of  this  enthusiasm 
for  ** external  morality"  as  expressed  in  abstinence 
from  harmful  and  unhealthful  drugs  and  stimulants. 
We  find  it  in  the  so-called  ''Word  of  Wisdom,"  the 
holiest  and  most  highly  esteemed  of  all  of  Joseph 
Smith's  utterances,  which  appears  as  Section  89  of 
this  same  book  of  ** Doctrine  and  Covenants."  In 
this  document  we  read  partly,  as  follows : 


108      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

'^Not  by  commandment  or  constraint,  but  by  revelation  and 
the  word  of  wisdom,  showing  forth  the  order  and  will  of 
God  in  the  temporal  salvation  of  all  saints  in  the  last  days. 
Given  for  a  principle  with  promise,  adapted  to  the  capacity  of 
the  weak  and  the  weakest  of  all  saints,  who  are  or  can  be 
called  saints.  Behold,  verily,  thus  saith  the  Lord  unto  you, 
in  consequence  of  evils  and  designs  which  do  and  will  exist  in 
the  hearts  of  conspiring  men  in  the  last  days.  .  .  .  Strong 
drinks  are  not  for  the  belly,  but  for  the  washing  of  your 
bodies.  And,  again,  tobacco  is  not  for  the  body,  neither  for 
the  belly,  and  is  not  good  for  man,  but  is  an  herb  for  bruises 
and  all  sick  cattle,  to  be  used  with  judgment  and  skill.  And, 
again,  hot  drinks  [tea  and  coffee]  are  not  for  the  body  or 
belly.  And,  again,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  all  wholesome  herbs 
God  hath  ordained  for  the  constitution,  nature  and  use  of 
man.  .  .  .  Yea,  flesh  also  of  beasts  and  of  fowls  of  the  air,  I, 
the  Lord,  have  ordained  for  the  use  of  man  with  thanksgiv- 
ing; nevertheless  they  are  to  be  used  sparingly;  and  it  is 
pleasing  unto  me  that  they  should  not  be  used  only  in  times 
of  winter,  or  of  cold  or  of  famine." 

Although,  as  some  writers  have  claimed,  these  prin- 
ciples, sane,  scientific  and  righteous  as  they  must  be 
understood  to  be,  were  promulgated  before  the  medi- 
cal profession  had  fully  awakened  to  the  harmfulness 
of  drugs  and  the  essential  error  of  over-eating  in  flesh 
foods,  it  must  be  recognized  that  the  imperative  behind 
this  document  lies  in  the  consistent  belief  that  it  em- 
bodies a  *^thus  saith  the  Lord.'' 

A  Rational  Theology. — ^We  need  only  mention  in 
passing  the  lofty  spiritual  and  intellectual  flights 
found  in  various  parts  of  this  book,  embodying  an 
evident  intention  to  formulate  a  *' rational  theology" 
— embodying  a  '* revelation"  that  really  *^ reveals"  in 
the  terms  of  human  comprehension — and  a  sane 
eschatology,  in  complete  harmony  with  the  teachings, 
or  at  least  the  wording  of  Scripture.  Conspicuous 
among  these  may  be  mentioned  Sections  76  and  121, 
also  numerous  shorter  passages  in  the  various  docu- 
ments found  throughout  the  book. 

A  Pioneer  Reformer. — In  order  to  demonstrate  the 
order  of  authority  to  be  argued  from  the  actions  of 
Joseph  Smith  himself,  acting  in  apparent  accord  with 
the  avowed  principles  of  his  professed  revelations,  we 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY      109 

may  remark  that  he  appears  there  as  a  conspicuous 
and  efficient  reformer  along  several  lines.  He  was  at 
least  seventy-five  years  ahead  of  his  time  as  a  prac- 
tical reformer  of  social  and  moral  conditions.  Thus, 
among  his  first  acts,  after*  the  chartering  of  the  city 
of  Nauvoo,  Illinois,  he  proposed  an  ordinance  touch- 
ing the  sale  of  liquors  that  is  worthy  mention  as  an 
example  of  real  statesmanship.  With  no  thought  of 
prohibiting  the  traffic  in  the  sense  of  a  ^  *  prohibition 
that  does  not  prohibit,"  and  might  be  regarded  by 
some  as  ** oppressive,"  he  recommended  that  the  sale 
of  spirituous  liquors  be  permitted,  with  the  remark- 
able proviso  that  no  one  should  be  allowed  to  sell  such 
in  quantities  of  less  than  one  gallon.  While,  as  may 
be  understood,  few  people  would  care  to  purchase  so 
much  as  a  gallon  of  whiskey,  it  is  very  evident  that 
this  ordinance  strikes  at  the  very  root  of  the  liquor 
evil  by  making  all  tippling  impossible.  It  might  be 
well  to  consider  whether  this  suggestion,  even  from 
*'so  ignorant  a  man  as  Joe,"  may  not  contain  a  clue 
to  some  really  statesmanlike  reform  in  the  matter  of 
intemperance.  His  outspoken  opposition  to  slavery 
was  expressed  in  equally  intelligent  suggestions,  as 
is  attested  by  Josiah  Quincy.  While  opposing  the 
hysterical  excesses  of  the  narrow-minded  abolitionist 
element,  whose  brainless  agitation  advertised  their 
own  self-righteousness  at  the  expense  of  a  civil  war 
and  thousands  of  valuable  lives,  this  ** ignorant  man" 
Joseph  Smith  advocated  openly  that  the  government 
pass  laws  abolishing  slavery,  but  arranging  to  reim- 
burse the  slave-holders  for  the  *' property"  purchased 
by  them  in  good  faith.  This  same  suggestion  was 
made,  as  Mr.  Quincy  tells  us,  by  Ralph  Waldo  Emer- 
son, eleven  years  later.  So  the  compiler  of  the  **  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,"  which  as  certain  writers  as- 
sert, contains  nothing  that  is  of  value,  was  eleven 
years  in  advance  of  Emerson!  Smith  also  promul- 
gated an  ordinance  of  toleration  in  his  city  of  Nauvoo, 
while  all  the  other  sects  were  fomenting  disorders 


110      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

against  him.  Why  is  it  necessary  that  this  man 
should  be  so  persistently  slandered  and  misrepre- 
sented by  '* enemies/'  who  will  not  even  take  the  trou- 
ble to  investigate  his  history  and  doings,  except 
through  the  medium  of  writers  who  would  not  credit 
him  with  a  decent  trait,  if.  it  were  at  all  possible  to 
abuse  or  ridicule  him?  There  may  have  been  some 
meaning  after  all  in  the  words  of  Christ:  **Woe  unto 
you  when  all  men  speak  well  of  you ;  for  so  did  their 
fathers  to  the  false  prophets." 

The  Church  Organization. — The  book  of  ''Doctrine 
and  Covenants"  contains  also  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples of  the  wonderful  organization  of  the  Mormon 
Church,  which  has  excited  comment  from  all  classes  of 
writers.  There  is  no  need  of  paying  attention  to  the 
exponents  of  ''just  disdain,"  who  pretend  to  find  in 
this  organization  only  the  instrument  of  a  "minute 
official  oversight,"  since  competent  examination  of  its 
principles  reveals  the  fact  that  it  is  nothing  of  the 
kind.  Without  going  further  into  the  details,  how- 
ever, we  may  assert  positively  that  the  principle  of 
constant  association  and  cooperation  involved  in  this 
organization — ^whatever  else  may  appear — lends  the 
impetus  for  a  very  real  and  vital  order  of  personal 
righteousness,  a  very  practical  and  effective  sympathy 
in  suffering  and  trouble,  a  very  evident  discourage- 
ment to  all  that  savors  of  misdoing  and  hypocrisy, 
and  an  unparalleled  impetus  to  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  duties  having  the  sanction  of  religion.  If, 
as  we  may  suspect,  Christ  intended  his  precepts  on 
the  duty  to  one's  neighbor  to  have  as  wide  and  lively 
acceptation  as  those  that  refer  to  the  service  of  God 
in  religious  ordinances,  it  is  reasonable  to  assert  that 
he  contemplated  some  institution  that  should  enable 
them  to  come  into  vital  and  necessary  activity.  In 
default  of  information  to  the  contrary,  also,  we  may 
assert  that  a  well-organized  community,  founded  on  a 
religious  sanction,  furnishes  the  best  imaginable  means 
for  accomplishing  the  end  mentioned.    If  this  Mor- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  CRITICALLY      111 

mon  organization  lacks  the  sanction  of  divine  author- 
ity, which  it  claims,  it  must  be  contended  that  its  pro- 
mulgator certainly  seized  upon  the  best  available 
medium  for  securing  the  ends  of  practical  righteous- 
ness, and  elaborated  its  details  with  a  skill  and  effi- 
ciency that  are  nothing  short  of  marvelous. 

Evidential  Value. — In  considering  this  organiza- 
tion in  a  truly  critical  light,  however,  we  are  com- 
pelled to  recognize  that  it  also  makes  a  wonderfully 
vivid  appeal  to  the  informed  mind  for  its  title  to 
being  precisely  what  it  claims  to  be — the  very  organi- 
zation, completely  restored,  that  was  promulgated  by 
Christ  Himself  and  continued  by  His  apostles.  His- 
torically speaking,  this  claim  is  dignified  into  the 
proportions  of  a  real  ^'difficulty/'  Like  the  Catholic 
Church,  this  organization  has  a  central  visible  head- 
ship, which  is  recognized  as  the  channel  of  divine  au- 
thority in  all  matters  **  pertaining  to  faith  and 
morals" — nor  is  there  any  doubt  in  the  mind  of  the 
critical  historian  that  the  Papacy  is  as  old  as  the  sec- 
ond century,  Protestant  claims  to  the  contrary,  not- 
withstanding. It  contains  its  subordinate  organiza- 
tions, the  Twelve  Apostles  and  the  order  of  the 
Seventy,  which  are  those  founded  by  Christ  Himself, 
and,  as  argued  by  Eusebius  and  others,  were  intended 
to  be  permanent.  It  has  been  claimed  that  the  Cath- 
olic Church  perpetuates  the  Seventy  in  the  College  of 
Cardinals,  although  not  clearly  perpetuating  the  apos- 
tolic body.  It  recognizes,  also,  the  proper,  or  normal, 
priesthood  of  all  believers — ^that  is  to  say,  it  assumes 
that  all  believing  men  shall  accept  ordination  to  some 
order  of  the  priesthood.  Many  things  in  the  history 
of  the  Apostolic  Church  might  lead  the  candid  critic 
to  the  conclusion  that  then  also  was  this  same  rule  in 
force.  Indeed,  it  may  be  argued  directly  from  the 
organization  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which, 
whatever  may  be  alleged  to  be  its  failures  in  other 
particulars,  may  logically  be  held  to  embody  the  '*  rem- 
nants,'' at  least,  of  the  organization  of  the  primitive 


112      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

Church.  Thus,  from  the  inculcation  of  ascetic  and 
celibate  ideas,  which  some  historians  profess  to  trace 
from:  definite  causes  in  the  early  Church,  it  may  be 
possible  for  us  to  see  how  that  a  Church  having  this 
theory  was  actually  ** withdrawn  from  the  world," 
making  its  membership  proper  to  include  the  celibate 
priesthood  and  the  religious  orders,  both  male  and 
female,  who  alone  seek  for  the  fulness  of  the  *^holy 
life  as  demanded  by  the  Gospel,"  and  leaving  those 
who  do  not  follow  this  *4ife"  simply  ''men  of  good 
will,"  to  whom  the  benefits  of  salvation  are  to  be 
given,  under  certain  conditions,  through  **  obedience 
to  the  law."  Were  it  not  for  this  ''law  of  celibacy," 
and  were  the  demands  of  the  Catholic  Church  to  be 
so  modified  as  to  be  possible  in  the  world  of  humanity 
— instead  of  holding  to  an  ideal  of  "transcending  the 
world" — ^there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  organizations 
of  the  two  Churches,  the  Catholic  and  the  "Mormon," 
would  be  so  far  assimilated  that  the  identity  of  origin 
and,  purpose  might  reasonably  be  suspected. 

A  Surprising  Parallel. — It  is  unnecessary  here  to 
inaugurate  a  controversy  as  to  whether  the  Catholic 
Church  has,  or  has  not,  departed  from  the  original 
teachings  of  Christ.  It  is  quite  certain,  however,  that 
the  "mangled  Romanism"  of  all  Protestant  bodies 
furnishes  no  clue  to  the  character  of  the  original 
Church,  while  their  total  neglect  of  anything  like 
efficient  organization  of  the  rank  and  file  of  their 
"membership,"  and  the  limiting  of  the  "ministry" 
of  religion  to  a  professional  class  are  direct  impedi- 
ments to  vital  religion — and  of  the  lack  of  this  very 
thing  the  exponents  of  all  of  them  complain.  It  is 
curious  that  so  strong  a  parallel  as  this  may  be  drawn 
between  the  organization  of  Catholicism  and  that  of 
"Mormonism";  also,  that  "so  ignorant  a  man  as 
Joe"  should  have  created  it.  It  may  be  that,  after 
all,  he  "builded  better  than  he  knew."  But  this  is 
very  close  to  what  he  claimed  in  his  own  behalf. 


CHAPTER  THREE 
THE  ''RATIONAL  TEST''  REASONED  OUT 

Reason  and  ''Rationalism/' — The  "rational  test," 
so-called,  is  rather  an  argumentative  test,  which  is  a 
very  different  thing.  Its  first  claim  is  that  the  system 
under  discussion  is  discredited  '*by  the  superstitious 
and  intemperate  appeal  of  the  founder  to  the  instru- 
mentality of  magic."  This  "magical"  element  is 
supplied,  of  course,  by  Smith's  claim  that  the  Vrim 
and  Thummim,  which  he  mentions  among  the  other 
articles  given  to  him  with  the  plates  of  the  "Book  of 
Mormon,"  were  effective,  in  some  manner  not  speci- 
fied, to  the  work  of  translating  the  ancient  record 
through  the  "gift  and  power  of  God."  This  claim 
strikes  our  friend  as  intolerable,  and  encourages  him 
to  remark: 

"To  suppose  that  an  antique  language  can  be  translated 
into  any  kind  of  English  by  means  of  bits  of  mineral  substance 
is  to  canonize  the  queer";  also,  as  a  subsidiary  argimient, 
"How  instrimients  that  act  mechanically  can  enter  into  part- 
nership with  the  free  movements  of  a  human  mind  they  have 
not  explained." 

Urim  and  Thummim. — ^Because  of  the  considera- 
tions above  mentioned,  and  a  few  others  of  the  same 
description,  our  author  seems  to  think  that  the  "irra- 
tionality," hence  also  the  untruthfulness  of  the  ac- 
count is  fully  demonstrated.  It  might  be  well,  how- 
ever, to  examine  the  matter  somewhat,  in  order  to 
discover  as  far  as  possible  precisely  what  is,  or  could 
be,  the  truth  of  the  claim  under  any  circumstances. 
As  is  familiar,  the  Vrim  and  Thummim,  as  mentioned 
in  the  Bible,  were  objects  of  uncertain  use  attached 

113 


114      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

to  the  breastplate  of  the  high  priest.  They  are  men- 
tioned in  five  passages  (Exodus  xxviii,  30;  Leviticus 
viii,  8 ;  Deuteronomy  xxxiii,  8 ;  Ezra  ii,  63 ;  Nehemiah 
vii,  65).  In  two  other  passages  (Numbers  xxvii,  21; 
I  Samuel  xxviii,  6)  the  word  Urim  occurs  alone.  That 
these  words  connote  some  objects  of  sacred  significance 
is  undoubted.  Thus,  in  the  first  passage,  we  read: 
'*And  thou  shalt  put  in  the  breastplate  of  judgment 
the  Urim  and  Thummim;  and  they  shall  be  upon 
Aaron's  breast,  when  he  goeth  in  before  the  Lord." 
Similarly,  in  the  two  latest  passages,  we  read  that  the 
''children  of  the  priests"  were  commanded  that 
''they  should  not  eat  of  the  most  holy  things  till  there 
stood  up  a  priest  with  Urim  and  with  Thummim" 
(Ezra  ii,  63;  Nehemiah  vii,  65).  These  instruments 
had  also  a  function  for  the  purpose  of  "inquiring  of 
the  Lord,"  although  where  mention  is  made  of  this 
the  word  Urim  alone  is  used.  Thus,  "and  he 
[Joshua]  shall  stand  before  Eleazar  the  priest,  who 
shall  ask  (counsel)  for  him  after  the  judgment  of 
Urim  before  the  Lord"  (Numbers  xxvii,  21) ;  also, 
"And  when  Saul  enquired  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  an- 
swered him  not,  neither  by  dreams,  nor  by  Urim,  nor 
by  prophets"  (I  Samuel  xxviii,  7). 

What  We  Know  of  Them. — ^Apart  from  these  pas- 
sages our  knowledge  of  these  sacred  instruments  is 
limited  entirely  to  surmise  and  the  occasional  analogies 
to  instruments  of  apparently  similar  significance 
among  other  peoples  than  Hebrews.  By  literal  trans- 
lation the  words  seem  to  mean  "lights"  and  "perfec- 
tions," or,  as  some  have  suggested,  "light"  and 
"right."  But  these  apparent  meanings  seem  to  help 
us  very  little  in  forming  a  judgment  as  to  the  use  or 
construction  of  the  objects  so  designated.  There  can 
be  no  doubt,  however,  that  they  were  important  ele- 
ments in  the  priestly  dress,  also  that,  as  seems  to  be 
involved  in  the  passages  quoted,  they  were  used  in 
some  way  as  means  for  learning  the  divine  will,  or 
for  obtaining  counsel  or  direction.    In  the  attempt 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  'TREASON"      115 

to  establish  the  essential  absurdity  of  Joseph  Smith's 
professed  use  of  some  instruments  called  by  these 
names,  our  author  makes  the  following  indefensible 
statements : 

"Smith's  pretense  that  he  was  supplied  with  the  venerable 
Israelite  instrument,  the  urim  and  thummim,  in  no  way 
alleviates  the  incredible  magic  involved  in  the  alleged  trans- 
action. For  the  scholarly  verdict  is  that  the  use  of  urim  and 
thummim  among  the  Israelites  was  only  a  solemn  form  of 
casting  lots,  a  means  of  deciding  between  the  simple  alterna- 
tives of  yes  and  no.  Moreover,  the  fact  is  to  be  emphasized 
that  in  the  great  prophetical  era  of  Israel  no  recourse  seems 
to  have  been  had  to  urim  and  thunmiim.  The  lofty-minded 
men  who  had  a  well-grounded  confidence  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  wrought  in  them  had  no  use  for  such  insensate  tools  as 
are  claimed  to  have  been  employed  in  the  origination  of  the 
'Book  of  Mormon.'"  [Foot  note  reference  to  the  article 
*'Urim  and  Thummim,"  in  Easting's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.'\ 

Merely  Lots? — ^We  may  notice  here  that,  while  sev- 
eral commentators  have  advanced  the  opinion  that 
the  instruments  in  question  were  in  some  sense  a 
means  of  ** casting  lots,''  such  opinion  is  by  no  means 
the  ** scholarly  verdict''  in  the  premises,  nor  even  the 
most  probable  conclusion.  Apart  from  the  passages 
of  Scripture  already  cited,  we  have  no  clue  to  the 
significance  or  use  of  the  instruments  beside  the  opin- 
ions of  Josephus  and  one  or  two  rabbinical  writers, 
who  seem  to  be  guessing  and  surmising  quite  as  en- 
tirely as  any  critic  of  the  present  day.  In  the  two 
passages  above  quoted,  at  least,  we  find  no  warrant  for 
the  **yes  and  no"  alternatives.  Is  it  possible  that 
we  are  to  suppose  that  Eleazar's  inquiry  of  the  Lord 
for  Joshua  was  merely  some  kind  of  fortune-telling 
performance,  to  be  determined  by  a  means  comparable 
to  turning  a  card  or  spinning  a  coin?  In  the  latter 
connection,  however,  it  seems  impossible  that  any  such 
meaning  should  be  given  to  the  **  asking  after  the 
judgment  of  Urim."  Saul,  as  we  read,  received  no 
answer  from  the  Lord,  either  by  dreams,  by  Urim,  or 
by  prophets.  Yet,  failing  with  these  '*  insensate 
tools,"  as  our  author  irreverently  terms  the  instru- 


116      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

ments,  we  learn  from  the  immediate  context  that  he 
consulted  a  certain  woman  who  had  a  **familiar 
spirit/'  and  that  she  was  able  to  bring  up  an  appari- 
tion of  the  dead  Samuel.  Of  him  Saul  inquired  as 
follows:  *^God  is  departed  from  me,  and  answereth 
me  no  more,  neither  by  prophets,  nor  by  dreams: 
therefore  I  have  called  thee  that  thou  mayest  make 
known  unto  me  what  I  shall  do."  It  is  very  evident 
that  a  man  in  Saul's  quandary  could  be  satisfied  with 
no  mere  *' alternatives  yes  or  no."  Nor  can  we  see 
why  it  could  be  that  mere  *  insensate  tools"  should 
fail  to  give  some  kind  of  an  answer,  any  more  than 
how  a  spun  coin  could  fail  to  show  ** heads"  or  'Hails" 
when  brought  to  rest. 

Sacred  Instruments. — The  truth  of  the  matter  is 
that  the  instruments  were  of  sufficient  significance  and 
sanctity  to  warrant  their  authoritative  inclusion  in 
the  breastplate  of  the  high  priest,  and  to  be  men- 
tioned as  divine  media  of  intelligence  in  other  pas- 
sages. If,  then,  God  saw  fit  for  some  reason  as  in- 
scrutable to  our  critic  as  to  the  rest  of  us,  to  endow 
them  with  such  value,  it  is  quite  evident  that  the 
captious  arguments  above  quoted  have  no  relevance 
to  the  discussion.  Nor  is  the  statement  that  the 
prophetical  writers  of  the  Old  Testament  seem  never 
to  have  used  such  *' insensate  tools"  of  the  slightest 
significance.  If  God  chose  in  old  times,  or  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  or  at  any  other  period,  to  decree 
a  special  sanctity  and  use  to  instruments  known  as 
Urim  and  Thummim,  to  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  to 
the  ceremonial  robes  of  the  priests,  or  to  burnt  offer- 
ings or  altars,  it  is  very  certain  that  His  reasons  for 
so  doing  are  not  of  such  a  character  as  to  be  plain  to 
every  amateur  logician  who  chooses  to  assert  his  puny 
judgments  of  door-yard  facts,  as  against  the  total  un- 
known content  and  significance  of  the  universe. 
Naaman  the  Syrian  is  to  be  healed  of  his  leprosy  only 
by  dipping  himself  '* seven  times"  in  the  Eiver  Jor- 
dan (II  Kings  V,  10),  nor,  as  the  context  suggests,  is 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ^ TREASON"       117 

the  apparent  ''absurdity''  of  the  procedure  to  be  con- 
sidered an  argument  against  it,  although,  as  no  one 
would  pretend,  need  we  suppose  that  the  water  of  this 
river  was  ever  a  ''panacea''  for  the  ills  of  the  flesh. 
God  chose  to  use  this  means  to  accomplish  His  end  in 
this  case.  He  also  chose  to  use  the  Urim,  the  Ark, 
and  other  sacred  objects  for  special  purposes  in  other 
connections.  That  is  all  there  is  to  be  said.  If,  in 
similar  fashion.  He  chose  to  endow  with  a  knowledge 
of  an  ancient  and  alien  tongue  a  man  possessed  of 
certain  material  "tools,*'  His  action  may  seem  to  have 
been  "irrational,"  but  that  is  evidently  His  concern. 

What  Smith  Said. — Whether  or  not,  the  "trans- 
lator" of  the  "Book  of  Mormon"  either  had  or  used 
such  instruments,  his  claim  in  this  particular  is  not 
to  be  discounted  by  its  "irrationality,"  but  solely  on 
the  basis  of  relevant  fact.  How  he  used,  or  professed 
to  use,  these  instruments,  we  have  no  clear  statements 
in  any  of  his  writings.  Nor  need  we  accord  an  au- 
thority greater  than  the  surmise  of  uninformed  associ- 
ates to  the  assertions  of  Whitmer,  and  others,  that 
they  were  used  after  the  manner  of  the  "peep-stones" 
or  magic  crystals,  so  familiar  in  the  magical  and  di- 
vining procedures  of  all  ages.  The  element  of  the 
bizarre  and  irrational  is  not  imported  by  the  state- 
ments of  Joseph  Smith.  His  references  are  mostly  as 
follows : 

"He  [the  angel  Moroni]  said  there  was  a  book  deposited, 
written  upon  gold  plates,  giving  an  account  of  the  former  in- 
habitants of  this  continent,  and  the  sources  from  whence 
they  sprang.  He  also  said  that  the  fullness  of  the  everlasting 
Gospel  was  contained  in  it,  as  delivered  by  the  Savior  to  the 
ancient  inhabitants;  also  that  there  were  two  stones  in  silver 
bows — and  these  stones,  fastened  to  a  breastplate,  constituted 
what  is  called  the  Urim  and  Thummim — deposited  with  the 
plates;  and  the  possession  and  use  of  these  stones  were  what 
constituted  'Seers'  in  ancient  or  former  times;  and  that  God 
had  prepared  them  for  the  purpose  of  translating  the  book." 
— History  of  the  Church,  Vol.  I.  p.  12. 

After  receiving  these  instruments,  as  he  relates,  his 
use  of  them  is  frequently  mentioned,  both  in  the  work 


118      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

of  'translating"  the  record  on  the  golden  plates,  and 
in  *' inquiring  of  the  Lord."  If  we  admit  the  possi- 
bility of  revelation  at  all,  or  of  the  authenticity  and 
authority  of  the  passages  of  Scripture  mentioning  the 
TJrim  and  Thurmnim,  it  would  be  difficult  to  see  how 
the  question  of  ^* rationality"  could  enter.  We  are 
concerned  simply  with  a  judgment  on  facts  in  the 
case  of  Joseph  Smith — as  to  whether  his  claims  to  a 
revelation  are  authentic.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we 
deny  revelations,  consequently  also,  the  authority  of 
Scripture,  it  seems  needless  to  waste  time  in  discussing 
the  further  *' absurdity"  of  ^'insensate  tools"  or  ''gi- 
gantic spectacles." 

''Scathing  Criticisms." — In  continuing  his  argu- 
mentative ''test,"  our  author  vents  the  following  para- 
graph: 

"A  criticism  scarcely  less  scathing  holds  against  the  pro- 
cedure attributed  to  the  Lord  in  relation  to  the  plates  of  the 
*Book  of  Mormon.'  Why  should  he  have  been  so  wonderfully 
concerned  to  keep  them  hidden  away  from  human  sight? 
Apart  from  the  message  which  they  contained,  what  were  the 
plates  but  old  metal?  and,  when  once  the  message  had  been 
transcribed,  of  what  possible  use  could  they  be  except  as  an 
accessible  test  of  the  fidelity  with  which  the  transcription,  or 
translation,  had  been  made?  To  charge  the  Lord  with  keeping 
them  out  of  sight  on  the  score  of  their  sacredness  is  to  charge 
him  with  patronizing  an  arrant  fetichism.  Things  are  sacred 
in  proportion  to  their  fulfillment  of  useful  offices.  Old  metal 
hidden  away  from  sight  is  fruitful  of  no  worthful  result  what- 
ever. God  could  not  possibly  have  any  motive  for  the  hiding. 
The  motive  was  altogether  with  Joseph  Smith.  The  rational 
inference  is  that  he  represented  the  plates  as  forbidden  to  the 
sight  of  men  just  because  he  had  no  plates,  at  least  none  that 
could  endure  critical  inspection  for  the  briefest  interval." 

Any  reader  who  may  be  unable  to  discern  the  fact 
that  this  paragraph  contains  nothing  that  is  either 
''criticism"  or  "scathing,"  need  only  read  it  a  second 
time.  Of  course,  when  one  is  willing  to  consider  that 
the  account  given  by  Joseph  Smith  might,  under  con- 
ceivable circumstances,  be  true,  he  must  discern  the 
fact  that  there  is  no  answer  to  the  question  as  to  why 
the  Lord  should  be  "so  wonderfully  concerned"  to 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  '^EEASON^'       119 

keep  the  plates  hidden,  any  more  than  he  can  con- 
ceive an  answer  as  to  why,  as  it  is  recorded  in  I  Sam- 
uel vi,  19,  the  contents  of  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant 
should  be  held  to  be  so  secret  that  the  *  *  men  of  Beth- 
shemesh"  were  smitten  *  Vith  a  great  slaughter,'^  be- 
cause they  had  looked  into  it.  Again,  as  our  critic 
evidently  intends  to  say,  we  may  think,  possibly,  of 
no  other  value  to  the  alleged  plates  of  the  Mormon 
record,  after  translation,  than  to  serve  as  a  **test  of 
fidelity,"  etc.  We  might  even  consider  him  correct, 
so  far  at  least  as  any  human  judgment  can  discern, 
in  asking  *'of  what  possible  use  could  they  be,"  after 
**the  message  had  been  transcribed."  We  should  be 
obliged  to  ask,  however,  **of  what  possible  use"  could 
the  tables  of  stone,  inscribed  by  Moses  at  Horeb,  be 
** after  the  message  was  transcribed."  Yet  the  tables 
of  stone — of  no  value,  as  our  critic  might  assert,  than 
**old  stone" — ^were  the  sole  contents  of  the  Ark  at 
one  period  (see  I  Kings  viii,  9),  and  were  an  essential 
part  of  the  contents,  for  the  seeing  of  which  sundry 
men  were  smitten,  as  just  stated.  If  our  friend  re- 
tains any  belief  whatever  in  the  truth  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament record,  it  seems  diflBcult  to  see  how  he  can 
escape  accusing  the  Lord  of  **  patronizing  an  arrant 
fetichism."  Why  cannot  a  man  arraign  the  **  im- 
postures" of  Joseph  Smith  without  also  casting  dis- 
credit on  the  plain  statements  of  the  Hebrew  Scrip- 
tures? 

God's  Motives! — There  are  very  many  things  in 
this  world,  quite  apart  from  the  sphere  of  religion  or 
religious  discussion,  which  we  cannot  understand  or 
explain.  There  is  also  a  wide  margin,  within  which 
one  may  be  entitled  to  his  opinion  on  the  truth  or 
untruth  of  allegations,  even  in  matters  authoritative. 
When,  however,  a  man  deliberately  makes  such  a  state- 
ment as  this — '*God  could  not  possibly  have  any  mo- 
tive for  the  hiding" — it  is  well  to  maintain  a  discreet 
silence,  lest,  forsooth,  we  *'cast  a  stone"  at  one  of  the 
Almighty's  chosen  confidants.    Who  is  this  that  dares 


120      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

to  set  limits — '* rational"  limits,  also — to  the  *' mo- 
tives'' that  may  lie  in  the  mind  of  God?  Could 
Joseph  Smith,  or  any  other  person,  be  he  *^ impostor'' 
or  ^* scholar"  only,  presume  more  utterly  on  the  long- 
suffering  of  God  than  one  who  could  vent  such  a 
solecism  ?  If  this  critic  wishes  to  discredit  the  claims 
of  Mr.  Smith,  and  of  the  Church  founded  by  him,  let 
him  do  so  by  a  ''rational  test"  that  is  sanely  rational, 
but,  when  he  injects  such  items  as  this  of  ''news  from 
the  front,"  it  is  merely  dismal.  One  "false  prophet" 
is  enough  in  a  single  century. 

Evolution  Disregarded ! — At  the  point  in  his  criti- 
cism at  which  we  left  him,  the  Doctor  is  ready  to  at- 
tack "Mormon  sacerdotalism."  He  finds  this  "irra- 
tional" in  the  "artificial  basis  of  authority  which  it 
imports  by  its  intemperate  stress  upon  isolated  divine 
workings,  upon  baldly  supernatural  or  quasi-super- 
natural interventions."  He  also  states,  utterly  with- 
out attempt  at  conclusive  demonstration,  that  the 
system  under  criticism  "virtually  ignores  the  great 
truth  that  the  Holy  Spirit  may  be  operative  in  and 
through  the  historic  process,  and  thereby  bring  forth 
most  precious  and  substantial  results."  He  also 
states  that  this  system  is  ' '  disinclined  to  see  any  token 
of  divine  revelation"  in  the  "advancing  and  deepen- 
ing convictions  which  lift  civilizations  up,"  etc.  He 
bewails  the  teaching  that,  as  he  interprets  it,  "God 
must  break  into  the  world  by  a  formal  manifestation 
and  give  a  formal  message  through  a  specific  mouth- 
piece, or  he  must  stay  out  of  the  world  and  keep 
silence."  Why  will  a  professed  "scholar"  and 
"theologian"  write  such  things  as  these  in  criticism 
of  some  system  which  he  wishes  to  oppose?  Pre- 
cisely as  if  he  were  deliberately  writing  for  ignorant 
and  prejudiced  people,  and  expecting  that  no  one 
would  read  him  who  should  attempt  to  analyze  his 
arguments,  we  find  that  he  uses  against  "Mormon- 
ism"  precisely,  the  arguments  that  "infidels"  used 
to  urge   against  the  various   systems  of   Christian 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ''REASON^'       121 

theology.  What  are  the  particular  examples  of  this 
**breaking-in''  of  which  ** infidels''  complained  so  feel- 
ingly? They  are,  notably — as  specified  in  the  for- 
mularies believed  to  be  authoritative,  before  our 
** spiritual  pastors  and  masters"  entered  upon  the 
mad  career  of  fatuity,  in  which  they  have  **  heaped 
to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears,"  and 
have  been  ** turned  unto  fables" — such  events  as  the 
delivery  of  the  divine  commission  and  the  law  of 
righteousness  to  Moses,  the  calling  and  sending  of  the 
several  prophets  to  deliver  special  messages  at  various 
stages  in  the  history  of  Israel,  and,  as  the  culmination, 
the  coming  of  Jesus  Christ  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  Certain  Protestant  writers  have  argued  that 
the  great  upheaval  of  the  sixteenth  century,  com- 
monly called  the  ** reformation,"  was  another  point 
at  which  God  ** interposed  providentially":  similarly, 
the  ** Mormons"  hold  that  the  professed  authority 
and  mission  of  Joseph  Smith  was  another  example 
of  the  **way  in  which  God  works."  In  spite  of  the 
half-baked  philosophies  of  a  few  modem  ** thinkers," 
who  seem  to  be  inspired  with  the  desire  to  appear 
** liberal"  and  ** scientific,"  there  is  no  particularly 
strong  argument  for  the  contention  that  the  **  historic 
process"  brings  forth  **most  precious  and  substantial 
results,"  apart  from  the  spreading  influence  of  an 
agency  already  introduced  by  a  direct  *4nterposi- 
tion"  of  divine  activity.  Thus,  we  have  been  accus- 
tomed, until  within  a  very  few  years,  to  read  that  the 
** progress  of  civilization,"  including  even  the  mate- 
rial things,  have  resulted  from  the  *' leaven  of  Chris- 
tianity" in  the  world.  Nor  is  the  real  teaching  of  the 
*' Mormon"  theology  in  any  sense  different  from  this. 
It  holds  to  the  necessity  of  divine  revelation,  intro- 
duced in  the  form  of  intelligible  messages — such  as 
emanate  from  and  come  to  all  intelligent  beings — at 
certain  definite  times.  It  holds  also  to  the  doctrine 
of  **dispensational  providences,"  which  has  been 
urged  by  others,  and  according  to  which  the  social, 


122      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

moral  and  other  orders  of  development  at  certain 
periods  are  characteristic  of  the  order  of  institution 
inaugurated  at  its  start.  If,  as  our  author  complains, 
the  *^ Mormon"  teaching  is  that  '^God  works  out  noth- 
ing through  the  historic  evolution,"  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  it  is  in  a  far  safer  position,  in  all  Christian 
consistency,  than  is  a  teaching  emphasizing  *^  historic 
evolution."  In  admitting  this  *^ chemicalizing"  in- 
fluence of  ''providence"  in  the  ''historic  evolution," 
we  are  treading  upon  the  ground  preempted  by  the 
advocates  of  a  mechanical  theory  of  the  universe,  in- 
cluding religion,  rather  than  standing  consistently  on 
the  Christian  assumption  that  the  relations  between 
God  and  man  are  the  relations  proper  to  beings  mutu- 
ally possessed  of  intelligence  and  the  ability  of  self- 
expression.  However,  the  system  to  which  our  author 
objects  insists  most  strenuously  and  fundamentally  on 
the  teaching  that  the  "visible  church,"  as  it  receives 
it,  is  the  divinely-appointed  medium  for  conferring 
the  "gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost"  [this  is  mentioned  in 
the  New  Testament]  and  the  other  "gifts  of  the 
Spirit,"  which  shall  fit  each  recipient  to  become  a 
centre  of  the" leavening  influence"  that  shall  be  able 
to  effect  the  purification  and  perfection  of  human 
society.  Virtually  the  same  claim  is  made  by  the 
advocates  of  Catholicism,  in  behalf  of  their  own 
Church,  but  Protestants  have  generally  erred  most 
conspicuously  in  the  assertion  that  "spiritual  gifts" 
were  the  exclusive  feature  of  the  early  Church,  and 
have  been  done  away  in  the  centuries  succeeding. 

Revelation  Narrow! — In  order  to  support  his  in- 
defensible statements  in  these  matters,  the  Doctor 
quotes  a  lengthy  passage  from  Orson  Spencer  to  the 
effect  that  "if  no  man  can  know  a  minister  of  God 
without  revelation,  then  no  large  body  of  men  can 
know  him,"  and  that  opponents  of  Joseph  Smith  are 
not  "credible  witnesses"  on  the  ground  that  "they 
have  not  the  gift  of  revelation."  Now,  no  matter 
whether  this  position  is  consistent  or  not,  it  is  quite 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ^^REASON"       123 

evident  that  our  author's  use  of  the  quoted  passage 
is  perverse.  It  does  not  aj'gue  to  the  ^conclusion 
which  he  is  attempting  to  establish  with  regard  to  the 
teachings  of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  As  to  the  mean- 
ing probably  attached  to  the  word  ** revelation"  in 
Spencer's  letter,  we  may  refer  to  the  previously- 
quoted  utterance  of  Joseph  Smith  himself,  in  setting 
forth  his  understanding  of  the  nature  and  authority 
of  a  prophet  in  the  words,  **the  testimony  of  Jesus 
is  the  spirit  of  prophecy."  Now,  just  where  the  ele- 
ment of  **  intemperate  stress  upon  isolated  divine 
workings"  appears,  in  such  a  passage  as  this,  it  would 
be  difficult  indeed  to  see.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
charge,  so  far  as  it  involves  anything  not  entirely  in- 
telligent and  Christian,  is  no  more  to  be  urged 
against  the  system  called  **Mormonism"  than  against 
any  authoritative  formula  of  belief  published  in  the 
days  of  faith. 

*Tolygamy"  Narrow. — Of  course,  the  arguments 
advanced  by  our  author  lead  naturally  and  easily  to 
a  vociferous  condemnation  of  the  professed  revela- 
tion legitimating  '* polygamy,"  and  afford  oppor- 
tunity for  a  new  effluvium  of  erroneous  and  inde- 
fensible statements.  Thus  he  finds  fresh  examples  of 
the  *' narrowness"  of  the  alleged  ** Mormon"  point 
of  view,  and  its  complete  disharmony,  as  he  asserts, 
with  all  that  could  consistently  be  called  '*  Chris- 
tian."   He  says: 

"By  virtue  of  the  monogamic  ideal  which  shines  forth  from 
the  biblical  revelation  (in  spite  of  its  record  of  polygamous 
practice  in  certain  instances),  by  respect  for  the  great  prin- 
ciple of  equality  of  male  and  female  in  Christ,  by  an  ir- 
repressible sense  of  the  injustice  of  condemning  a  devoted 
wife  to  take  up  with  the  mere  fraction  of  a  husband,  by  a 
recognition  of  the  natural  conditions  of  true  heart  devotion 
and  real  conjugal  imity,  Christians  came  universally  to  con- 
demn polygamy  and  to  cast  it  out  as  incompatible  with  a 
decent  civilization.  All  that,  from  the  Mormon  standpoint, 
counts  for  nothing.  Joseph  Smith  said  that  he  had  a  revela- 
tion legitimatizing  polygamy,  and  his  word  ends  the  matter. 
God  demonstrated  his  will  in  this  so-called  revelation.    In 


124      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

the  working  out  and  deep  implantation  in  a  Christian  civiliza- 
tion of  the  family  ideal  his  will  in  no  wise  came  to  expres- 
sion." 

Our  author  evidently  believes  that  this  paragraph, 
like  some  of  the  others  in  his  book,  contains  a  *  ^  scath- 
ing .critcism."  With  no  intention,  however,  of 
arguing  upon  the  merits  of  the  doctrine  or  practice  of 
^'polygamy,"  we  must  insist  that,  supposing  it  to  be 
the  very  apogee  of  abomination,  it  is  unfair  to  expect 
a  candid  and  informed  reader  to  derive  this  view  from 
any  such  orgy  of  generalized  inaccuracies  as  is  seen 
at  this  place.  Not  only  must  we  insist  that  an  ex- 
clusively ^'monogamic  ideal' '  is  very  dimly,  if  at  all, 
perceptible  in  Scripture,  being  embodied  in  no  plain 
and  unmistakable  condemnation  of  a  plurality  of 
wives,  but  also  we  cannot  refrain  from  commenting 
unfavorably  on  the  quality  of  '^exegesis"  that  holds 
up  ** ideals"  on  the  alleged  authority  of  obscure  or 
ambiguous  texts,  while  ignoring  the  plainly  expressed 
teachings  and  commands  of  Christ,  which,  if  followed, 
could  have  forestalled  all  the  difficulties  of  human 
life  on  earth.  According  to  Christ,  the  Church 
should  have  other  and  broader  functions  than 
are  proper  to  a  mere  *^ purity  society,"  always  con- 
demning '^sins  of  the  flesh,"  while  condoning  or  ig- 
noring evils  quite  as  great  and  quite  as  heinous  in 
other  directions.  As  for  the  remainder  of  his  de- 
nunciation, it  is  necessary  only  to  remark  that  the 
considerations  mentioned  by  him  positively  were  not 
the  ones  that  determined  the  lawmakers  of  Christen- 
dom, to  discourage  polygamy,  and  this  any  student  of 
history  may  verify  for  himself.  As  to  the  injustice, 
as  he  expresses  it,  of  ^* condemning"  a  woman  to  **a 
mere  fraction  of  a  husband,"  it  seems  proper  to  say 
that  the  ^'Mormon"  wives  are  entitled  to  no  particu- 
larly strong  sympathy  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  on 
account  of  their  sufferings,  real  or  hypothetical,  be- 
cause of  *' polygamy."  Not  only  did  they  support  it 
by  the  vote,  given  to  them  in  1872,  in  the  hope  that 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  '^REASON"       125 

they  would  legislate  the  institution  into  non-existence, 
but  they  are,  and  always  have  been,  the  most  out- 
spoken advocates  of  its  practice,  testifying  to  the 
** peace"  and  ** happiness''  to  be  derived  from  what, 
as  they  state,  they  accepted  as  a  divine  institution. 
They  have  repeatedly,  and  with  indignation,  repelled 
the  well-intentioned  efforts  of  their  fellow-countrymen 
and  countrywomen  to  teach  them  the  ** higher  truth." 
Our  author's  brief  irruption  into  the  sentimental  and 
romantic  would  scarcely  awaken  the  appreciation  of 
the  women  of  *  *  Mormondom. " 

Sad  Consequences. — As  if  unsatisfied,  however, 
with  all  the  other  ** scathing"  things  already  said, 
our  author  writes  at  another  place  a  few  pages  fur- 
ther along: 

"It  cannot  be  overlooked  that  the  scheme  of  plurality  of 
wives  is  branded  with  selfishness  and  injustice.  The  number 
belonging  to  the  male  and  to  the  female  sex  respectively  is 
too  nearly  equal  to  make  it  possible  for  men  to  multiply  wives 
without  diminishing  the  chances  of  their  fellows  to  enter  at 
all  into  marital  relations.  A  selfish  plutocratic  hierarchy 
might  conceivably  be  pleased  with  the  license  of  the  harem 
system;  but  men  who  recognize  the  demands  of  equality  and 
justice  can  discover  no  apology  for  such  a  system." 

In  spite  of  the  alleged  approximate  parity  in 
the  numbers  of  males  and  females  in  the  average 
human  community,  we  find  no  particular  justification 
for  any  such  conclusions  as  are  contained  in  the  above 
quotation.  Thus,  in  America  in  particular,  the  num- 
.ber  of  unmarried  women  is  constantly  increasing. 
Indeed,  in  many  aspects  of  the  matter,  we  seem  to  be 
begetting  a  race  of  women  devoid,  as  a  rule,  of  all 
desire  for  marriage,  even  for  the  hallowed  joys  of 
motherhood.  That  very  many  such  women  are  not 
normal  is  scarcely  surprising,  and  their  influence  upon 
growing  girls,  in  the  distorted  views  of  life  that  are 
growing  among  us,  is  regrettable.  Whatever  they 
may  think  of  the  matter,  or  whether  the  present  order 
of  things  involves  ''injustice"  for  them,  or  not,  it  is 
evident  that  it  would  be  to  the  distinct  advantage  of 


126      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

society  as  a  whole  could  it  be  arranged  that  the  num- 
ber of  **old  maids''  could  be  reduced  by  recruits  to 
the  ranks  of  wedlock  and  maternity.  Among  '*  Mor- 
mons," whatever  may  be  the  explanation,  there  are 
found  no  such  unnatural  sex-antagonisms  as  are  so 
sadly  rampant  in  other  parts  of  the  world.  It  may 
be  said  that  these  people  are,  in  fact,  and  quite  apart 
from  *' polygamy,"  the  real  pioneers  in  the  cause  of 
equality  for  the  sexes.  Of  course,  as  need  not  be 
said,  the  real  objection  to  ** polygamy"  rests  upon  no 
such  grounds  as  our  author  gives  in  the  two  previous 
quotations.  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  agitators 
had  no  design  of  stopping  injustice  of  any  such  orders. 
Indeed,  their  persecutions  of  the  *' Mormons"  date 
from  a  time  many  years  before  even  Joseph  Smith 
dreamed  of  polygamy.  This  fact  must  not  be  for- 
gotten. 

Marriage  for  Eternity. — In  order,  however,  that 
others  may  escape  the  misapprehensions  under  which 
our  author  evidently  labors,  it  will  be  desirable  to 
explain,  as  briefly  as  possible,  the  precise  teachings 
and  evident  considerations  contemplated  in  the  docu- 
ment known  as  the  revelation  ^*0n  the  Eternity  of 
the  Marriage  Covenant,"  dated  July  12,  1843.  This 
document  states  that  a  very  superior  degree  of 
blessedness  in  the  world  to  come  shall  be  inherited  by 
those  who  accept  the  solemnization  of  eternal  marriage 
at  the  hands  of  God's  accredited  representatives;  that, 
in  fact,  such  shall  inherit  the  ** divine  nature,"  and 
be  called  **gods."  It  specifies  distinctly  that  a  mar- 
riage covenant  not  so  solemnized,  specifically  '*for 
time  and  for  all  eternity,"  cannot  persist  beyond  the 
confines  of  life,  ** until  death  do  us  part";  for  **all 
contracts  that  are  not  made  unto  this  end,  have  an 
end  when  men  are  dead."  The  statement  is  also 
made  that  such  **  covenants,  contracts,  bonds,  obliga- 
tions," etc.,  must  be  **made,  and  entered  into,  and 
sealed,  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  of  him  who  is 
anointed."     [This  refers  probably,  also,  to  the  sev- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  'TREASON''       127 

eral  other  ''sealing  ordinances''  performed  in  ''Mor- 
mon'' temples.]*  Now,  a  marriage  so  solemnized  and 
considered  must  appear  to  be  an  "indissoluble  con- 
tract" par  excellence,  a  veritable  apotheosis  of  a 
sacramental  union.  As  a  corollary,  however,  it  is 
stated  that  this  same  power  and  authority  is  qualified 
to  seal  for  eternity  more  wives  than  one  in  the  cov- 
enant, precisely  as  "Abraham  received  concubines, 
and  they  bare  unto  him  children,  and  it  was  accounted 
unto  him  for  righteousness. ' ' 

Marriage  a  Sacred  Order. — Two  things  are  to  be 
stated  in  explanation  of  this  apparently  incompre- 
hensible glorification  of  eternal  marriage:  (1)  that 
marriage,  as  the  condition  of  procreation,  under  the 
authorization  of  divine  institutions  and  authority,  is 
in  a  very  real  and  tangible  sense  a  religious  function, 
a  form  of  priesthood,  in  fact,  involving  high  and  lofty 
responsibilities,  as  we  shall  presently  explain:  (2) 
that  the  contracting  of  a  marriage  for  eternity,  under 
conditions  authorized  by  God,  involves  presumptive 
exercise  of  a  very  superior  form  of  faith  in  the  reality 
of  the  life  to  come. 

As  a  "Sacrament." — ^Under  the  first  head,  as  we 
may  understand,  it  is  not  accurate  to  class  the  doc- 
trine as  "phallicism,"  or  the  deification  of  the  pro- 
creative  function  in  nature — a  term,  by  the  way,  that 
involves  a  suggestion  of  the  highest  opprobrium  in 
the  mind  of  a  sectarian  writer  of  the  ordinary  calibre 
— for  the  very  evident  reason  that  it  is  not  the  act 
or  function  of  procreation  that  is  extolled,  but  the 
high  and  lofty  use,  as  believed,  to  which  it  is  put,  or 
consecrated.  It  is  made,  in  fact,  according  to  the 
representations  of  Latter-day  apologists,  an  iastru- 
ment  of  salvation  in  a  very  real  sense.  This  may  be 
understood,  as  follows:  The  Latter-day  Saints  hold 
to  the  doctrine  of  "baptism  for  the  dead,"  claiming 
as  Scriptural  authority,  in  part,  St.  Paul's  famous 
passage  (I  Corinthians  xv,  29),  which  they  interpret 

*  See  Jamee  E.  Talmage's  "The  HouBe  of  the  Lord,"  pp.  108-109. 


128       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

as  authority  for  the  doctrine  that  the  proxy  baptism 
of  a  believer  in  this  world  can  avail  in  behalf  of  any 
spirit  in  the  world  of  the  dead  who  shall  accept  the 
Gospel  *' preached  also  to  them  that  are  dead''  (I 
Peter  iv.  6).*  On  the  other  hand,  they  hold  that  the 
spirits  of  mankind  have  existed  from  eternity  with 
God,  since  '*  intelligence,  or  the  light  of  truth,  was  not 
created  or  made,  neither  indeed  can  be."  (Doc.  & 
Gov.  xciii,  29.)  Hence,  as  the  true  believer  has  a 
duty  to  his  dead,  to  perform,  in  their  behalf,  the 
necessary  ordiaances  of  salvation,  so,  also,  he  has  as 
his  duty  to  the  unborn  to  provide  for  them  the  oppor- 
tunity of  birth  into  the  fulness  of  Gospel  conditions. 
Such  a  belief  as  this  readily  takes  such  a  corollary  as 
'^plural  marriage,"  or  *^ polygamy."  We  can  under- 
stand, at  least,  the  feelings  of  those  who  claim  to  have 
entered  into  this  '^holy  order"  from  a  sense  of  duty, 
or  '*for  conscience'  sake."  That  this  ideal  involves 
the  highest  and  sanest  order  of  continence  should  be 
expected,  and  this  very  thing  is  urged  upon  all  young 
men  in  Latter-day  Saint  organizations,  not  merely  as 
a  condition  desirable  to  health  and  general  well- 
being,  but  also  as  a  high  religious  duty.  This  state- 
ment cannot  be  denied,  and  is  fully  attested  by  all 
candid  observers  of  the  *' Mormon"  system  and  polity. t 
As  a  Pledge  of  Faith. — Under  the  second  head,  we 
need  only  apply  to  the  convictions  and  beliefs  of 
Latter-day  Saints  the  very  kind  of  explanation  that 
would  be  used  in  explaining  the  doings  and  beliefs 
of  any  persons  or  sects,  with  whom  we  are  in  full 
sympathy.  Also,  as  we  may  say,  the  explanation 
will  be  quite  as  accurate  and  representative.  The 
emphasis  laid  upon  the  sanctity  of  a  marriage  con- 
tracted for  eternity,  and  the  belief  that  it  is  a  very 
real  introduction  to  the  dignities  of  ''godhood,"  or 

*  The  claim  is  made,  however,  that  this  doctrine  has  been  reaffirmed 
by  modern  revelation.  (See  Doc.  &  Gov.  cxxiv,  28-41;  also  "The 
House  of  the  Lord,"  pp.  82,  86.) 

t  See  Richard  F.  Burton's  "City  of  the  Saints,"  pp.  427-429. 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  *  TREASON''       129 

supreme  blessedness  in  the  life  to  come,  lies  less  in 
the  mere  act  of  marrying  than  in  the  implied  obedi- 
ence to  the  law  of  the  priesthood — ^this  word  is  under- 
stood to  imply  '*  power  and  authority  given  to  men  to 
act  in  the  name  of  God'' — and  this  law  should  move 
a  man  to  behave  as  though  he  were  already  the  pos- 
sessor of  eternal  life  and  an  inhabitant  of  the  celestial 
kingdom.  His  action  in  this  regard  differentiates 
him  from  one  who,  in  marrying  or  any  other  act  of 
life,  has  regard  only  to  this  world — **  until  death  do 
us  part.''  If,  then,  the  act  of  contracting  a  marriage 
for  eternity  be  not  a  mere  conventional  acquiescence 
in  accepted  custom  in  the  premises — even  then,  con- 
ceivably— it  certainly  both  evidences  and  augments  a 
firm  and  vivid  faith  in  the  reality  of  life  beyond  death, 
and  in  the  sufficient  authority  of  God's  appointed 
priesthood,  of  which  every  man  should  properly  be 
the  possessor.  The  claim  to  a  godlike  heritage  in  the 
world  to  come  is  justified,  then,  in  view  of  the  fact 
that  a  man  so  conforming  to  the  law  asserts  his  claim 
as  an  inhabitant  of  the  heavenly  life,  thus,  literally, 
in  one  of  the  most  vital  acts  of  his  career,  actually 
laying  hold  on  the  promises  of  God.  (c/.  I  Timothy 
vi,  12;  Hebrews  vi,  18-19.)  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
where  other  noble  and  excellent  people,  either  from 
lack  of  faith,  or  from  ignorance,  have  not  thus  con- 
formed to  the  demands  of  the  law,  it  is  said  of  them 
that,  in  Scripture  phrase,  **they  are  as  the  angels  of 
God."  These  considerations  explain  in  part  the  ap- 
parent confusion  of  high  virtues  of  other  orders  with 
the  discussion  of  marriage  in  the  document  above 
quoted.  It  also  reveals  in  an  eminent  sense  the  real 
genius  of  **Mormonism,"  that  sanctity  does  not  con- 
sist in  vain  ascetical  attempts  to  ** transcend"  the^ 
world  of  human  life,  but,  actually  and  with  magnifi-y 
cent  courage,  in  the  godlike  effort  to  raise  the  world' 
itself  to  the  heights  and  glories  of  the  divine  ideal. 

The  Marriage  Ideal. — The  recognition  of  some  such 
thought  as  this  of  the  marriage  relation  and  its  sig- 


130      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

nificance  must  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Susa  Young 
Gates,  when  she  wrote  on  ** Mormon''  family  life,  as 
follows : 

"Nowhere  on  the  face  of  this  wide  earth  is  the  love  of 
husbands  for  their  wives  and  wives  for  their  husbands  so  in- 
tense, so  thrilling,  and  so  divine  as  it  is  here  in  Utah.  Men 
go  by  the  hundreds  into  prisons,  by  thousands  into  willing 
exile,  rather  than  sacrifice  the  hearts  of  their  beloved  com- 
panions. Women  cheer  them  in  this  determination,  separat- 
ing for  this  life  in  the  glad  hope  of  an  eternal  reunion,  which 
no  law,  no  court  of  public  opinion,  can  ever  deny  to  them. 
To  be  true  in  this  life  through  trial  and  separation  is  pre- 
ferred by  these  faithful  people  to  the  breaking  of  solemn 
covenants." — North  American  Review,  March,  1890. 

The  Apostasy  of  Christendom.— Our  author,  how- 
ever, has  thought  of  a  new  word  that  sounds  very- 
well  to  him,  and  he  proceeds  to  ring  changes  on  it 
through  the  next  few  pages  of  his  book.  This  word 
is  *  ^  narrowness, ' '  and,  as  he  supposes,  it  applies  again 
to  the  **  utter  disparagement  which  exponents  of 
Mormonism  have  been,  wont  to  visit  upon  the  Chris- 
tian world  at  large  and  in  the  crying  up  of  their  own 
system  as  possessed  of  sole  legitimacy,"  etc.,  etc.  To 
be  sure,  as  we  may  acknowledge,  the  fundamental 
principle  of  *^ Mormonism"  is  that  Christendom  has 
become  apostate  from  Christ,  and  that,  in  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints,  the  lost  perfection  of  the  Gospel  was  restored. 
Apart  from  this  belief,  * '  Mormonism ' '  becomes  merely 
one  of  the  numerous  sects  of  Christian  name  with 
peculiar  tenets.  Nevertheless,  all  that  it  says  about 
traditional  Christianity  is  no  more  and  no  worse  than 
the  Catholic  Church  says,  or,  at  least,  believes,  about 
other  bodies ;  nor  any  more  violent  and  uncompromis- 
ing than  the  things  said  by  Protestants  about  the 
Catholic  Church.  Thus,  as  expressed  in  the  book  of 
Homilies  of  the  Church  of  England,  the  Protestant 
contention  is  that  *  *  Laity  and  clergy,  learned  and  un- 
learned, all  ages  and  sexes  and  degrees  have  been 
drowned  in  abominable  idolatry,  most  detested  by 
God,  and  damnable  to  man,  for  800  years  and  more." 


MOBMONISM  TESTED  BY  '^EEASON"       131 

Quite  ''narrow''  that,  also!  And  written  at  least 
three  centuries  before  **Mormonism"  appeared  to  dis- 
turb the  complacent  ''righteousness"  of  the  clergy! 
It  is  far  less  than  300  years,  also,  since  Protestant 
sects  were  speaking  very  similarly  about  one  another. 
Why,  if  Protestants  may  use  such  abusive  language 
about  the  Catholic  Church,  is  it  reprehensible  in 
"Mormons"  to  hold  or  express  similar  opinions  about 
the  Protestants  themselves?  If,  again,  "Mormons" 
are  blinded  to  the  "sterling  worth"  of  other  sects, 
why  is  their  attitude  materially  worse  than  the  "just 
disdain"  of  the  wiseacres  who  can  see  no  good  what- 
ever in  "Mormonism"?  If  reprehensible  and  unre- 
flecting "narrowness"  were  the  sole  possession  of 
"Mormons,"  it  is  altogether  certain  that  such  books 
as  the  average  anti-Mormon  diatribe  would  not  be 
written. 

"Subservient  to  His  Scheme." — Our  author,  how- 
ever, still  pursuing  the  subject  of  "Mormon  narrow- 
ness," proceeds  to  remark:  that  "the  founder  [of 
Mormonism]  set  the  standard  of  self -appreciation  at 
the  highest  notch  by  representing  God  Almighty  as 
entirely  subservient  to  his  scheme,  and  bound  to  bless 
whomsoever  he  might  bless,  and  to  curse  whomsoever 
he  might  curse."  [Reference  to  Doc.  and  Cov.,  Sec. 
cxxxii,  47.]  This  is,  of  course,  the  very  kind  of  sen- 
tence that  one  would  not  expect  to  hear  from  a  deter- 
mined opponent  of  "narrowness,"  let  alone  a  man  of 
broad  learning.  If  delivered  by  an  "infidel,"  who 
stands  outside  of  all  sects  and  creeds  whatever,  one 
could  excuse  it  as  a  "sharp  thrust  at  superstition," 
but  in  the  mouth  of  a  man  who  has  his  own  sect  to 
defend,  and  who  is  a  "scholarly"  defender  of  it,  at 
that,  it  comes  with  very  poor  grace  after  all  the  verbi- 
age just  read  on  the  subject  of  "narrowness."  The 
remark  is  characteristically  anti-"  Mormon, "  how- 
ever, also  characteristically  Protestant.  But  it  is 
Christianly  indefensible.  Whatever  our  author,  or 
other  Protestants,  may  have  to  say  upon  the  proposi- 


132      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

tion  that  what  he  calls  '' sacerdotalism  *'  is  to  be  con- 
sidered the  ** ceaseless  foe  of  Christianity,"  the  fact 
remains  that  Christ  Himself  established  this  very 
institution  to  the  extent,  at  least,  of  imparting  the 
power  of  *^ binding  and  loosing"  (Matthew  xvi,  19; 
xviii,  18)  and  of  ^'forgiving  or  retaining  sins"  (John 
XX,  23).  The  latter  seems  to  be  somewhat  in  the  line 
of  ** blessing  and  cursing"  with  the  authority  of  God. 
Nor  would  it  be  consistent  to  state  that,  in  adhering 
to  these  rights,  the  Apostles  could  be  accused  of 
**  representing  God  Almighty  as  entirely  subservient 
to  [their]  scheme."  To  be  brief,  it  represents  the 
very  element  of  sufficient  authority  in  matters  doc- 
trinal and  religious  that  is  the  principal  source  of 
strength  in  both  the  Roman  and  the  ^'Mormon" 
churches,  but,  neglecting  which.  Protestantism  has 
fallen  a  ready  victim  to  modem  *' revised  theologies" 
and  general  spiritual  impotence.  It  may  be  that  the 
founder  of  Mormonism  was  '*  presumptuous "  in  re- 
cording that  God  had  endowed  him  as  above  speci- 
fied, but  it  cannot  be  denied  for  one  moment  that  he 
hit  the  very  central  point  of  Scriptural  Christianity, 
which  so  many  others  have  both  neglected  and  re- 
viled. 

Korah's  **  Scheme." — Speaking  of  ''schemes," 
however,  we  have  seen  very  many  of  them  in  the  sys- 
tems of  such  ''reformers"  who  have  arisen  to  offer 
the  "penny  dips"  of  their  own  opinions  to  enlighten 
the  world  upon  the  things  of  God.  All  of  them  have 
resented  the  teaching  that  there  must  be  a  visible  and 
permanent  seat  of  authority  in  religion,  and  in  so 
doing  have  only  reenacted  the  sad  error  of  Korah  and 
his  company,  who  said  to  Moses  and  Aaron:  "Ye 
take  too  much  upon  you,  seeing  all  the  congregation 
are  holy,  every  one  of  them,  and  the  Lord  is  among 
them."  (Numbers  xvi,  3.)  As  it  transpired,  how- 
ever, accordmg  to  the  Scripture  narrative,  the  Lord's 
view  was  to  the  contrary  of  their  contention.  Indeed, 
it  may  not  be  too  much  to  say  that  the  difference  be- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  'TREASON"       133 

tween  a  man  maJking  the  claims  to  divine  authority 
on  the  basis  of  this  professed  revelation  of  Joseph 
Smith,  and  one  denying  his  right  to  make  it,  is  that 
the  former  holds  to  what  should  be  the  function  of  a 
Church  organized,  in  this  particular,  in  harmony  with 
the  requirements  of  Scripture,  and  the  latter  trusts 
in  his  reason,  which  tells  him  that  this  is  **not  God's 
way  of  doing  things."  Others  than  Joseph  Smith 
have  made  themselves  chargeable  with  **  representing 
God  Almighty  as  entirely  subservient  to  [their] 
scheme." 

Piety  and  Literature. — However,  in  spite  of  all 
this,  our  author  animadverts  as  follows:  **A  Church 
that  has  been  so  nearly  powerless  to  emulate  the 
wealth  of  the  Christian  world  in  a  deeply  spiritual 
literature  and  in  shining  examples  of  piety  simply 
makes  itself  ridiculous  when  it  puts  a  ban  upon 
Christendom  and  claims  a  monopoly  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  on  earth."  This  is  a  well-worded  and  forcible 
sentence,  but  slightly  wide  of  the  mark,  as  the  saying 
has  it.  Not  even  ** Mormons"  disregard  the  ** deeply 
spiritual  literature"  mentioned.  Indeed,  many  of 
them  enjoy  it,  so  far  as  they  have  read  it.  As  for 
the  ** shining  examples  of  piety,"  no  one  could  wish 
to  discredit  them — although,  like  Noah,  Daniel  and 
Job,  *Hhey  should  deliver  but  their  own  souls  by 
their  righteousness,  saith  the  Lord  God" — but  one  can 
only  regret  that  the  brilliancy  of  their  ** shining"  is 
in  ** inverse  ratio"  to  their  frequency.  [Why,  if^ 
literature  and  piety  are  the  tests,  do  Protestants  *'put^ 
a  ban"  on  the  Roman  Church,  which  excels  in  both?]  ^ 
"Why  does  our  author  *'play  up"  the  ** piety"  and  the 
^* literature,"  and  neglect  to  mention  how  that  tradi- 
tional Christianity  has  promoted  cooperation  and 
brotherhood  among  men;  has  abolished  vice,  misery, 
poverty  and  war ;  has  made  most  of  the  people  under 
its  influence  fit  to  stand  among  the  '* sheep"  at  the 
right  hand  of  the  Judge  (Matthew  xxv,  31-46)  ? 
Because  our  author  is  an  intelligent  man,  and  he 


134      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

knows  full  well  that  there  is  nothing  to  be  said  in 
support  of  such  claims.  For  this  reason  do  the  critics 
of  the  average  sect  have  an  unanswerable  argument. 
The  ** Mormon"  ground  of  *' disparagement"  lies 
solely  in  the  words  quoted  by  Joseph  Smith  from  the 
mouth  of  God  Himself,  as  he  states — '^They  draw 
near  to  me  with  their  lips,  but  their  hearts  are  far 
from  me ;  they  teach  for  doctrines  the  commandments 
of  men :  having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  they  deny  the 
power  thereof."  If  the  Doctor  can  prove  that  God 
must  have  been  misquoted  in  this  saying,  he  has  done 
much  to  discredit  the  man  who  claimed  to  have 
quoted  Him,  also  of  the  people  who  have  followed 
this  man's  leadership. 

Mormon  ** Priesthood." — Of  course,  our  author 
makes  the  mistake  in  his  criticisms  of  assuming  that 
modern  *  4iberalistic "  Protestantism  is  so  evidently 
the  *Hrue  Christianity"  that  anything  contrary  to  its 
claims  and  assumptions  is,  ipso  facto,  to  be  regarded 
as  *' false"  and  reprehensible.  Thus,  he  enlarges 
greatly  upon  ** sacerdotalism,"  as  manifested,  sup- 
posedly by  the  Mormon  ^ '  priesthood. ' '  He  is  even  in- 
clined to  find  in  this  *  ^  priesthood "  the  highest  reach 
of  his  bitterly  detested  *  *  ecclesiasticism. "  All  his 
arguments  on  this  score,  however,  are,  like  the  argu- 
ments to  the  same  effect  uttered  by  other  anti-^*  Mor- 
mon" writers,  to  be  discounted  from  the  fact  that  they 
are  used  as  applicable  to  the  understanding  of  the 
word,  *' priesthood,"  as  a  set  of  men  claiming  and 
exercising  priestly  authority,  instead  of  the  state  of 
being  a  priest,  or  the  office  and  dignity  of  a  priest. 
The  latter  sense  is  the  one  in  which  the  word  is  often- 
est  used  by  Mormons,  and  the  former  sense  is  almost 
never  to  be  understood  in  their  books  and  discourses. 
Thus,  while  we  may  agree  with  our  author  in  the  con- 
tention that  a  priestly  class  or  caste,  as  in  ancient 
Egypt  or  India,  for  example,  may  operate  to  the  op- 
pression of  the  non-priestly  portion  of  the  population, 
it  is  evident  that  no  such  objections  could  be  urged 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ^'REASON''       135 

against  such  a  system  as  Mormonism,  in  which  every 
man  in  good  standing  should,  properly  speaking,  hold 
the  priesthood  in  some  degree,  in  either  of  the  two 
orders,  the  ' '  Melchizedek ' '  *  and  the  * '  Aaronic. ' '  The 
authority  for  these  two  orders  is  drawn,  supposedly, 
from  Hebrews  vii,  where  Aaron  is  taken  as  the  type 
of  the  *' lower  priesthood"  and  Melchizedek  as  the 
type  of  the  *' higher,''  which  is  also  known  as  the 
*' Order  of  the  Son  of  God."  Although,  as  a  matter 
of  fact,  about  90  per  cent,  of  the  male  membership  of 
the  Church  hdld  some  grade  of  ordination  in  either 
the  one  or  the  other  of  these  two  ** priesthoods" — the 
organization  of  the  Church  is  such  that  the  central 
source  of  authority  is  lodged  in  the  First  Presidency 
and  the  Twelve  Apostles,  who  are  the  governing 
bodies  in  matters  both  spiritual  and  temporal.  As  to 
whether  these  bodies  always  govern  justly,  or  not,  or 
as  to  whether  the  order  of  government,  which  all 
Mormons  claim  is  based  upon  the  expressed  will  of  the 
entire  Church  membership,  voting  four  times  each 
year,  is  really  ** democratic,"  it  is  unnecessary  to 
argue.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  allegations  of  **  op- 
pression," etc.,  have  never  come  from  members  of  the 
Church,  but  always  from  busy-bodying  outsiders,  or 
else  from  bitter  ** apostates,"  who  have,  as  a  rule, 
sought  to  avenge  some  personal  grievance— often  they 
are  not  the  ** injured  parties" — at  the  cost  of  making 
representations  about  this  organization,  which  they 
know  to  be  untrue.  The  advantages  of  the  Mormon 
organization,  miscalled  the  ** hierarchy,"  are  so  nu- 
merous that  a  candid  study  of  the  subject  could  not 
fail  to  discount  the  stock  charges  in  the  mind  of  any 
intelligent  student. 

Mormon  ** Materialism." — From  this  matter,  our 
author  lapses  readily  to  the  old  charge  that  the  the- 
ology of  Mormonism  is  to  be  detested  as  teaching  that 

*  This  name  is  spelled  in  this  manner  in  the  authoritative  literature 
of  the  Mormon  Church,  which  follows  the  rendering  given  in  the  Old 
Testament. 


136       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

God  possesses  a  material  body.  Thus,  he  quotes  with 
disapproval  the  teachings  of  Joseph  Smith  upon  the 
subject : 

"Not  only  did  he  [Smith]  proclaim  the  doctrine,  so  con- 
stantly repeated  by  his  followers  down  to  this  day,  that  *the 
Father  has  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones  as  tangible  as  man's,' 
but  he  ruled  out  spirit  as  distinct  from  matter.  These  are 
his  words:  'All  spirit  is  matter,  but  it  is  more  fine  or  pure, 
and  can  only  be  discerned  by  purer  eyes.  We  cannot  see  it; 
but  when  our  bodies  are  purified  we  shall  see  that  it  is  all 
matter.'"     {Doctrine  and  Covenants,  cxxxi,   7,  8.) 

He  also  finds  it  surprising  that  '*as  recent  a  writer 
as  James  E.  Talmage"  has  found  it  possible  to  write: 
**I  submit  that  to  deny  the  materiality  of  God's  per- 
son is  to  deny  God,  for  a  thing  without  parts  has  no 
whole,  and  an  immaterial  body  cannot  exist."  ('* Ar- 
ticles of  Faith,"  p.  48.)  He  comments  on  the  fact 
that  the  **  Mormons  have  felt  a  degree  of  hesitation  to 
apply  the  like  description  to  the  Holy  Spirit,"  but 
remarks  that  'Hhey  have  been  under  practical  com- 
pulsion to  ascribe  a  body  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  only  one 
of  a  vague  sort,  like  a  widely  extended  vapor,  gas, 
ether,  or  peculiar  species  of  fluid."  Continuing  to 
enlarge  upon  a  subject  on  which  he  has  evidently  ex- 
pended no  pains  to  arrive  at  the  meanings  involved, 
he  asserts  that  **the  materialistic  phase  of  Mormon- 
ism  makes  a  congenial  basis  for  the  polytheistic  phase. 
A  god  who  is  nothing  more  than  a  parcel  of  matter 
...  is  neither  so  high  in  nature  nor  so  inclusive  but 
that  he  may  very  well  have  many  associates."  He 
also  finds  * '  such  a  multiplicity  of  gods  as  threatens  to 
be  wearisome  to  contemplate." 

Mormon  * '  Polytheism. ' ' — Dreadful  indeed  are 
the  things  which  he  finds  here !  He  also  uncovers  yet 
lower  depths  in  quoted  passages  from  the  specula- 
tive writings  of  Orson  Pratt,  and  one  or  two  stray 
sentences  from  the  sermons  of  Brigham  Young,  as  if 
these  were  authoritative  in  every  sense.  In  opposi- 
tion, however,  to  all  his  allegations,  which  are  evi- 
dently quite  the  reverse  of  what  should  be  made  by  a 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  '^REASON^'       137 

careful  and  candid  student,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that 
he  has  utterly  failed  to  grasp  the  fundamental  idea 
at  the  basis  of  this  so-called  ** materialism/'  It  is 
evident  that  in  ascribing  a  ** material  body"  to  God 
the  Father,  the  formulators  of  Mormon  theology  had 
three  ends  in  view:  (1)  to  escape  from  the  inevitable 
conclusion  that  **  spirit  as  distinct  from  matter '^  will 
be  conceived  by  the  average  mind  as  negation  or 
** nothingness'';  (2)  to  represent  God  as  in  some  in- 
telligible sense  **real";  (3)  to  conform  to  the  Scrip- 
tural statement  that  Christ  is  the  **  express  image  of 
His  person."  What  is  the  philosophical  description 
of  matter?  That  it  is  the  ** constant  possibility,  or 
basis,  of  perception."  If,  then,  as  stated  in  Scrip- 
ture, the  saved  souls  of  humanity  **  shall  see  him  as 
he  is"  (I  John  iii,  2),  it  is  inevitable  that  we  con- 
ceive him  as  visible,  audible,  and  probably,  also,  tan- 
gible ;  hence,  in  so  far,  representable  in  terms  of  mate- 
rial properties  and  sensations.  It  is  the  *' spirit"  of 
which  the  ** bodies"  of  God,  angels,  human  spirits, 
etc.,  consist  [not  the  ** breath"  or  energy  of  God's 
power  and  presence]  that  is  thus  stated  in  terms  pos- 
sible to  the  comprehension  of  human  minds.  For  the 
same  reason,  it  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  said  to 
possess  a  ** material  body."  He  is  defined  as  the 
*' fullness  of  mind,  glory  and  power,"  possessed  in 
common  by  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  constituting 
their  unity,  which  shall  be  shared  also  by  all  true 
believers  (John  xvii,  21),  who  shall  thus  become  ** par- 
takers of  the  divine  nature"  (II  Peter  i,  4)  ;  for  **Is 
it  not  written  in  your  law,  I  said,  Ye  are  gods"  (John 
X,  34).  It  is  all  in  the  Scriptures,  which  also  contain 
nothing  about  a  God,  who  is  definable  as  a  **  being 
without  body,  parts  or  passions,"  a  mere  philosophical 
whimsey  with  no  intelligible  meaning.  Dreadful, 
however,  would  our  author  have  us  suppose  is  the 
conception  of  a  God,  who,  as  he  chooses  to  say,  '*is 
nothing  more  than  a  parcel  of  matter,  subject  to  the 
limitations  of  body,  and  having  occasion  to  move  from 


138      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

place  to  place."  Remember  that  long  enough  to  de- 
rive the  notion  of  Mormon  '^crudity/'  then  you  may 
take  up  any  of  the  great  confessions  of  Christendom 
and  read  what  they  have  to  say.  Here,  for  example : 
"Christ  did  truly  rise  again  from  death,  and  took  again  his 
body,  with  flesh,  bones,  and  all  things  appertaining  to  the  per- 
fection of  Man's  nature;  wherewith  he  ascended  into  Heaven, 
and  there  sitteth,  until  he  return  to  judge  all  Men  at  the  last 
day.  ...  so  that  two  whole  and  perfect  Natures,  that  is  to 
say,  the  Godhead  and  the  Manhood,  were  joined  together  in 
one  Person,  never  to  be  divided,  whereof  is  one  Christ,  very 
God,  and  very  Man." — Articles  of  the  Church  of  England,  iv 
and  ii. 

We  may  understand,  therefore,  the  essential 
'* crudity''  of  the  conception  of  God,  which  our  author 
has  been  attempting  to  criticize,  and  has  included  in 
his  general  denunciation  of  *' narrowness"  and  **rank 
sacerdotalism. ' '  Are  we  to  understand  that  Christ  is 
still  believed  to  be  **Yery  God,"  or  has  that  teaching 
also  been  *  improved  away"  by  **  scholarship "  ? 

Christian  *  *  Polytheism. ' ' — The  assertion  that 
Mormonism  teaches  not  only  ** materialism,"  but  also 
''polytheism,"  or  the  plurality  of  gods,  verbally,  at 
least,  has  some  justification  in  the  standard  books  of 
the  Mormon  Church.  Actually,  the  accusation,  in  the 
sense  in  which  it  is  intended,  shows  both  narrowness 
and  spite  and  also  ignorance  of  the  real  teachings  of 
Scripture.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  use  of  the  term 
*'gods"  in  Mormon  literature  evidences  two  things: 
(1)  that,  with  the  belief  in  the  eternity  of  the  human 
spirit  or  ''intelligence" — this  is  to  be  argued  from 
several  of  the  passages  of  Scripture  believed  to  teach 
"fore-ordination,"  since  "God  is  not  the  God  of  the 
dead  [or  unexistent],  but  of  the  living" — ^which 
might  seem  to  justify  the  belief  that  this  spirit  is 
essentially  divine;  (2)  to  accord  with  the  words  of 
Scripture  as  quoted  above.  Such  a  teaching  as  this  is 
not  "polytheism"  any  more  than  the  doctrine  of 
"eternal  marriage"  and  its  corollaries  is  "phalli- 
cism."    A  careful  study  of  the  words  of  Christ  and 


'  \ 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ^'REASON''       139 

His  apostles  will  reveal  the  fact  that,  in  a  very  real 
sense,  the  supreme  salvation  consists  in  becoming 
*' partakers  in  the  divine  nature/'  That  the  use  of 
the  word  '* gods''  is  eminently  Christian  in  this  con- 
nection may  be  illustrated  from  the  following  quota-  ^ 
tion  from  the  writings  of  the  late  William  T.  Stead,  *^  f 
himself  an  admirer  of  Mormon  teachings : 

*'I  had  been  trying,"  he  says,  "to  write  a  letter  to  a  poor 
girl  who  had  been  rescued.     She  was  finding  the  new  life  very 
dull  and  was  in  danger  of  falling  back,  and  it  was  suggested 
that  if  I  were  to  write  to  her  it  might  have  some  influence 
over    her    for    good.     I    left   the   letter    imfinished   to   attend 
morning  service  [he  was  then  in  jail  for  some  political  of- 
fense], and  was  looking  down  from  the  organ-loft  on  my  six  /* 
hundred   fellow-prisoners  when   I   heard  a  voice :     *Why   are    ,  J  :  f*-fi 
you  telling  that  girl  to  be  a  Christian  ?     Never  tell  anyone  *  /    t^^ 
any  more  to  be  a  Christian.     Always  tell  them  to  be  a  Christ.'  //. 
My  mind  revolted,  and  I  said :     *What  blasphemy.'     But  the    ^ 
voice    went    on :     ^The   word    Christian   has    become    a    mere! , 
label  covering  much  of  self,  little  of  Christ.*  ...  I  pondered 
the  matter  deeply.     I  wrote  to  all  those  on  whose  judgment 
and  spiritual  insight  I  felt  I  could  rely — to  Cardinal  Man- 
ning, to  Hugh  Price  Hughes,  to  Josephine  Butler,  to  Benjamin 
Waugh,    and    others.     What   would    these    spiritually-minded 
men  and  women  think  of  it?     With  one  exception  all  said: 
*These  words  contain  the  essence  of  the  Christian  religion.*" 
—Quoted  in  "My  Father"*  by  Estelle  W.  Stead. 

As  we  may  readily  understand,  when  the  Mormon 
— and  Christian — doctrine  of  ** polytheism"  is  thus 
explained,  as  the  equivalent  of  both  the  Christian  life 
and  of  supreme  salvation,  our  author's  expressed  fear 
that  there  will  be  **such  a  multiplicity  of  gods  as 
threatens  to  be  wearisome  to  contemplate"  involves 
no  very  serious  danger  to  our  peace  of  mind.  There 
will  not  be  an  improperly  large  multitude  of  **gods." 

** Blood  Atonement." — Our  author  then  turns  from 
** materialism"  to  the  other  bogie,  ** blood  atonement," 
which  he  also  criticizes  vigorously.  He  makes  a  pro- 
fessed quotation  from  a  pamphlet  by  President  C.  W. 
Penrose  on  this  subject,  in  which,  as  he  says,  the  doc- 
trine is  supposedly  based  on  Hebrews  ix,  22 — **  without 
the  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission  of  sins" — 


140      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

and  states,  truly  enough,  that  this  passage  involves  no 
such  teaching.  He  neglects  to  state,  however,  that 
Penrose's  unread  lecture  claims  other  and  better  au- 
thorities for  the  doctrine  that,  under  specified  cir- 
cumstances (Hebrews  vi,  4-6),  ''it  is  impossible  to 
obtain  forgiveness,''  also  that  (Hebrews  x,  26-29)  ''he 
that  despised  Moses'  law  died  without  mercy  under 
two  or  three  witnesses:  of  how  much  sorer  punish- 
ment, suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy,  who 
hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God?"  On  the 
basis  of  these  and  other  passages,  particularly  I  John 
v,  16-17  and  I  Corinthians  v,  3,  5,  the  teaching  is  that 
the  "Sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit,"  which  is  identified 
with  apostasy  and  murder,  puts  the  offender  out  of 
the  domain  of  grace  and  under  the  Law  of  Moses, 
which  distinctly  specifies  that  a  crime  of  such  gravity 
shall  be  expiated  only  by  the  destruction  of  the  of- 
fender, the  shedding  of  his  blood.  With  true  Chris- 
tian consistency,  however,  this  method  of  punishment 
is  not  regarded  as  simple  "vengeance,"  nor  yet  as 
mere  "public  policy"  in  the  premises,  but,  curiously 
enough,  as  a  new  possible  avenue  of  approach  to  the 
Mercy  Seat — in  being  thus  punished  with  death,  the 
man  has  made  his  divinely-appointed  ' '  expiation ' '  for 
the  sin,  which,  as  evidently  expressed  in  the  above- 
cited  passages  from  Hebrews,  cannot  be  included  in 
the  Atonement  of  Christ.  Some  such  idea  is  strongly 
suggested  in  the  passage  from  I  Corinthians  v,  which 
is  as  follows: 

"For  I  verily,  .  .  .  have  judged  already,  as  though  I  were 
present,  concerning  him  that  hath  done  this  deed,  to  deliver 
such  an  one  unto  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh,  that 
the  spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

"Rational  Warrants." — Of  course,  the  significance 
of  this  passage  hinges  upon  the  meaning  of  the  ex- 
pression "destruction  of  the  flesh,"  which  may  be,  as, 
indeed,  it  has  been,  variously  interpreted.  How, 
nevertheless,  it  may  be  understood  in  any  sense  other 
than  public  execution,  when  coupled  with  the  idea  of 


MORMONISM  TESTED  BY  ^'EEASON''      141 

being  ''saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  it  would 
be  difficult  to  understand.  Of  what  use,  then,  is  it 
for  a  professing  Christian  to  argue,  as  does  the 
author  under  discussion,  in  such  words  as  these : 

"As  for  the  rational  warrant  for  the  merciless  tenet,  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  imagine  how  any  one  can  suppose  that  a 
wise,  holy,  and  righteous  God  can  refuse  to  be  satisfied  by  the 
deepest  contrition  which  the  human  spirit  can  render,  and 
consent  to  be  appeased  only  by  blood  smoking  from  the 
ground." 

Scriptural  Consistency. — Of  course,  if  we  are  to 
seek  for  ** rational  warrants"  for  religious  doctrines, 
we  shall  speedily  take  leave  of  all  for  which  Chris- 
tianity stands,  when  the  Scriptures  are  accepted  as 
authority.  This  very  thing  has  been  done  by  hosts  of 
''Protestant"  theologists  in  the  frantic  effort  to  be 
"scientific."  The  sort  of  "rational  test"  as  is  used 
in  the  above  passage  would  not  even  permit  us  to 
believe  that  God  could  have  "spared  not  his  own  Son, 
but  delivered  Him  up  for  us"  (Romans  viii,  32). 
Evidently  the  "God  of  the  New  Testament" — to  use 
a  current  phrase — *^can  refuse  to  be  satisfied  by  the 
deepest  contrition  which  the  human  spirit  can  render, 
and  consent  to  be  appeased  only  by  blood" — the 
"blood  of  His  cross" — "smoking  from  the  ground"; 
for,  as  represented,  only  in  this  way  has  He  "made 
peace  "(Colossians  i,  20).  Indeed,  the  most  accept- 
able teaching  is  that  Christ  "should  taste  death  for 
every  man"  (Hebrews  ii,  9),  and  that,  apart  from 
Him,  every  man  must  fulfil  the  requirements  of  the 
Law  by  "tasting  death"  for  himself.  In  this  teach- 
ing of  "blood  atonement,"  it  is  evident  that,  as  in 
other  "Mormon"  teachings,  a  distinct  effort  has  been 
made  by  some  one  to  derive  a  definite  idea  from  ob- 
scure passages  of  Scripture.  The  doctrine  is  consist- 
ent with  the  wording  of  numerous  passages.  It  is 
strange  that  Protestants,  professing  to  accept  the  Bible 
as  the  "sole  rule  of  faith,"  have  failed  to  discern  this 
fact. 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

THE  'PRACTICAL  TEST"  OF 
MORMONISM? 

Why  ''Practicar'?— In  our  work  of  examining, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  the  actual  allegations 
upon  which  the  American  people  are  constantly  asked 
to  violate  our  national  guarantees  of  liberty  of  con- 
science and  religious  toleration,  we  have  discussed  al- 
ready an  *' historical  test,"  a  ** critical  test"  and  a 
''rational  test."  "We  come  now  to  a  section  called  the 
''practical  test,"  probably  because  no  other  title  was 
suggested  to  the  mind  of  the  writer.  He  begins  with 
the  following  words : 

"In  taking  up  the  data  which  make  for  the  practical  refuta- 
tion of  Mormonism  it  is  not  necessary  to  bring  any  sweeping 
charge  against  the  character  and  conduct  of  the  Mormons  as 
a  body.  That  a  large  proportion  of  them  have  been  better 
than  the  system  in  which  they  have  been  ensnared  may  readily 
be  admitted.  Still  further,  it  can  be  granted  that  a  scheme  of 
minute  official  oversight,  such  as  is  imposed  upon  the  Mormon 
people,  might  be — so  long  as  it  should  find  subjects  content 
to  remain  in  a  relatively  passive  state — favorable  to  the  cul- 
tivation of  a  species  of  external  morality.  Concessions  like 
these  ought  to  be  made  by  the  critic  without  reluctance.  He 
has  no  occasion  to  picture  the  Mormons  as  exceptionally  bad. 
He  achieves  the  purpose  of  refutation  in  showing  that  their 
record  is  far  from  being  in  accord  with  their  enormous 
claims,  that  it  has  been,  in  fact,  no  whit  better  than  might 
be  expected  of  any  erring  sect  inflamed  with  a  special  zeal." 

On  completing  all  that  he  has  to  say  of  the  moral 
"failures"  of  the  "Mormons,"  our  author  repeats  the 
last  sentence,  and  adds: 

"The  result  stands  out  clearly  from  the  review  that  the 
moral  record  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints  puts  to  shame  their 
pretense  to  be  in  a  preeminent  sense  the  people  of  the  Lord." 

142 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  '* PRACTICE"      143 

Who  Are  *' God's  People''? — ^We  may  conclude, 
therefore,  that  the  standards  for  *' refuting''  Mormon- 
ism  involve  that  the  believers  in  this  system  are  not  to 
be  considered  as  ** sinners  above  all  men,"  but  that, 
on  the  whole,  because  of  this  or  that  specified  error, 
their  title  to  be  ** God's  chosen  people"  is  seriously 
vitiated.  Lest  every  reader  should  not  be  able  to  see 
the  essential  fallacy  of  this  line  of  reasoning,  we  may 
remark  (1)  that  the  shortcomings  catalogued  by  our 
author  are  equally  chargeable  against  every  body  of 
people  whatsoever,  and  (2)  that  we  may  reasonably 
conclude,  on  his  showing,  that  the  claim  to  being  **in 
a  preeminent  sense  the  people  of  the  Lord"  has  never 
been  warranted  in  the  case  of  any  set  of  people  that 
live,  or  ever  have  lived  on  earth.  Indeed,  as  a  stand- 
ard of  judgment,  this  matter  of  formal  conduct  must 
be  an  exceedingly  unsatisfactory  one.  Human  nature 
is  very  refractory  material  at  best,  even  in  prophets, 
apostles  and  saints,  very  many  of  whom  are  remem- 
bered far  better  for  their  self-accusings  and  passion- 
ate repentings  than  for  virtues  of  the  commoner  vari- 
eties. Nor  is  it  always  fair  to  condemn  a  man,  or  a 
set  of  men,  for  even  practical  failures,  while  utterly 
ignoring,  from  the  lofty  standpoint  of  graduated 
** scholarship"  all  that  such  have  tried  to  do,  even  un- 
successfully. 

Early  Christian  Lapses.— However,  as  it  seems,  it 
is  vain  to  attempt  injecting  a  sense  of  justice  into 
the  over-learned,  or  further,  to  inquire  as  to  what  par- 
ticular ** erring  sect,"  inflamed,  or  not,  with  a  ** spe- 
cial zeal,"  has  exhibited  such  exceptionally  good  a 
record  in  conduct.  The  Israelites,  as  specified  in 
Scripture,  from  the  days  of  Abraham,  were  to  be 
known  as  God's  ** chosen  people,"  who,  in  the  words 
of  Exodus  xix,  6,  were,  on  condition  of  obedience,  to 
be  a  ** kingdom  of  priests  and  an  holy  nation."  Yet, 
as  one  might  gather  from  the  reading  of  the  history 
indited  by  their  own  writers,  their  **  moral  record 
.  .  .  puts  to  shame"  any  such  claim.    Nor  need  we 


144      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

condemn  them  too  severely — ^they  had  the  failings 
common  to  human  nature,  the  very  evils  against  which 
high  standards  of  righteousness  are  established. 
Even  the  earliest  Christians  were  not  devoid  of  these. 
"Without  mentioning  the  charges  of  their  enemies — 
many  of  whom  made  *  bests''  in  this  matter — we  may 
quote  the  two  great  apostles,  St.  Paul  and  St.  Peter. 
Not  only  does  Paul  warn  his  disciples  against  **  anger, 
evil  communications,  filthiness,  fornication,  foolish 
talking,"  etc.,  (Ephesians  iv,  26-v,  6),  to  *4ie  not" 
(Colossians  iii,  8-9),  not  to  *^bite  and  devour  one  an- 
other" (Galatians  v,  15),  but  he  fears  *4est  I  have 
bestowed  labor  upon  you  in  vain"  (Galatians  iv,  11) ; 
bewails  their  departure  from  the  truth,  as  taught  to 
them  (Galatians  i,  6  and  iii,  1),  and  their  contentions 
on  this  account  (I  Corinthians  i,  10-12),  and  states 
(II  Corinthians  xiii,  10),  **I  write  these  things  being 
absent,  lest  being  present  I  should  use  sharpness." 
Evidently,  at  that  time  even,  human  weakness  often 
led  to  failure.  He  even  specifies  an  aggravated  case 
of  *  ^fornication"  in  I  Corinthians  v,  1-5,  and  fears 
lest  he  find  among  his  disciples  *' debates,  envyings, 
wraths,  strifes,  backbitings,  whisperings,  swellings, 
tumults,"  and  that  some  of  them  may  have  *' sinned 
already,  and  have  not  repented  of  the  uncleanness 
and  fornication  and  lasciviousness  which  they  have 
committed"  (II  Corinthians  xii,  20-21).  St.  Peter 
also  warns  against  ''false  prophets"  and  ''damnable 
heresies"  in  the  second  chapter  of  his  second  epistle. 
Evidently,  as  we  must  conclude  neither  the  sins  of 
the  "old  man,"  nor  yet  the  danger  of  them,  were 
absent,  even  in  apostolic  days.  Evidently,  of  some  of 
the  earliest  Christians  it  could  have  been  said,  "the 
moral  record  .  .  .  puts  to  shame  their  pretense  to  be 
in  a  preeminent  sense  the  people  of  the  Lord." 
How,  then,  can  we  consistently  condemn  Mormons, 
Methodists,  Mennonites,  or  other  people,  on  any  such 
grounds  as  these  ? 
Gossip,  Apostasy  and  Filth. — But,  what  are  the 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  ^TEACTICE''      145 

dreadful  lapses  which,  as  we  are  told,  so  seriously  dis- 
credit the  ** enormous  claims"  of  the  Latter-day- 
Saints  ?  Are  they  guilty,  as  a  rule,  of  the  errors  men- 
tioned and  condemned  by  St.  Paul?  Are  they  prone 
to  *'backbitings,  whisperings,"  etc.?  Not  any  of 
these,  although  they  seem  to  have  been  considerably 
*' backbitten."  As  the  first  *' practical  test,"  accord- 
ingly, we  hear,  on  the  presumed  authority  of  Dame 
Gossip,  that,  in  his  last  days.  Smith  *'was  given  up 
to  an  unbridled  libertinism."  It  would  not  suit  the 
necessities  of  an  unfavorable  *'test"  to  say  merely 
that  he  had,  in  assumed  obedience  to  the  revelation 
on  plural  marriage,  taken  several  wives,  since,  on  the 
authority  of  the  apostate  Stenhouse,  **no  man  know- 
eth"  the  number  of  the  ** wives  of  Joseph."  It  must 
be  said,  however,  that  whether  some  of  these  numer- 
ous ladies  were  given  to  *'vain  boasting,"  or,  whether 
all  of  them  were  ** wives  in  name  only,"  the  fact  is 
indisputable  that  Joseph  Smith  left  no  children — ^not 
even  any  claiming  to  Be  his  children — except  by  his 
** first  wife,"  Emma  Hale  Smith.  This  is  a  nearly 
unparalleled  record  for  any  man  **  given  up  to  an 
unbridled  libertinism."  Whatever  he  may  have  done, 
it  is  certainly  just  to  point  with  indignation  to  such 
a  sentence  as  this : 

"The  same  candid  writer  [Stenhouse]  avers  also  that  one 
woman  in  Utah  informed  him  that  the  said  Joseph  taught 
her  that  it  was  the  privilege  of  wives  to  entertain  'proxy 
husbands'  during  the  absence  of  their  liege  lords  on  mission.*' 

A  Trustworthy  Witness? — There  is  no  need  to 
pause  for  the  remark  that  this  unnamed  female  friend 
of  Mr.  Stenhouse  is  alone  authority  for  the  vile  in- 
sinuation attributed  to  her.  Had  this  filthy  notion 
actually  been  a  teaching  of  Joseph  Smith,  no  one 
would  have  been  in  a  better  position  to  state  it,  on  the 
authority  also  of  far  higher  and  better  known  persons 
than  **one  woman  in  Utah,"  than  this  same  Sten- 
house himself,  who,  previous  to  the  Godbeite  defec- 
tion, was  a  member  of  the  Mormon  Church  in  good 


146       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

standing,  also,  according  to  Burton  [see  **City  of  the 
Saints, ''  p.  223],  on  terms  of  easy  intimacy  with 
President  Young.  On  the  assumption  that  Stenhouse 
and  his  wife,  both  of  whom  wrote  more  or  less  ill  of 
their  former  Church,  are  to  be  credited  with  the  de- 
cency that  they  claim,  it  is  strange  that  they  could 
for  so  long  a  time  countenance  all  the  ** evils''  nar- 
rated in  their  books.  A  very  similar  remark  applies 
to  the  ** damaging  charges''  made  by  other  apostates. 

The  Shame  of  Gossip. — ^But,  as  it  seems,  it  is 
superfluous  to  warn  some  people  of  the  essential 
turpitude  of  gratuitous  gossip,  and  the  essential  mean- 
ness of  adding  to  its  currency.  Thus,  as  we  find  here, 
further  '^ refutations"  of  ** enormous  claims"  lie  in 
the  words  of  that  gossip-monger,  *'Rev.  Henry  Cas- 
wall,"  previously  quoted.  He,  as  stated,  *' records 
four  instances  as  reported  to  him,  with  specifications 
of  place  and  circumstances,  in  which  the  Mormon 
leader  [Smith]  was  plainly  intoxicated."  Not  satis- 
fied with  this,  Caswall  also  quotes  his  ^'host,"  as  com- 
plaining that,  **  during  the  three  years  .  .  .  since  the 
settlement  of  the  Mormons  at  Montrose  and  Nauvoo 
fourteen  robberies,  to  the  amount  of  two  thousand 
dollars,  have  been  committed  on  his  property."  This 
same  loquacious  ^^host"  had  formerly  resided  among 
** heathen  Indians,"  and  had  ''never  been  robbed," 
quite  like  the  frontier  merchant  who  left  his  store  un- 
locked at  night,  since  ''there  was  not  a  Christian 
within  twenty  miles  of  him."  It  is  a  dreadful  thing 
that  such  a  man  as  Caswall,  who  visits  a  place,  not  to 
observe  its  life,  good  or  evil,  and  make  candid  and  in- 
telligent reports,  but  to  retail  idle  gossip,  should  be 
an  accredited  minister  of  religion.  As  previously  in- 
dicated, other  writers,  quite  as  reliable  as  this  person, 
have  left  an  entirely  different  picture  of  Mr.  Smith 
and  his  doings. 

They  Saw  Him  Drunk. — ^Nevertheless,  as  we  read 
William  Law  ' '  testifies  that  he  saw  him  drunk  on  one 
occasion."    Also,  in  a  note,  Levi  Lewis  "testifies  that 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  'TRACTICE''      147 

he  saw  Smith  drunk  three  times  while  he  was  prepar- 
ing the  ^Book  of  Mormon.'  ''  [Reference  to  Howe, 
^'Mormonism  Unveiled,"  p.  268.]  Further,  the 
** thieving  propensities"  of  the  Mormons  are  evi- 
denced, according  to  Linn  and  Sheldon,  *^in  the  neces- 
sity which  the  church  authorities  recognized  for  pub- 
lic declarations  that  they  did  not  sanction  the  prac- 
tice." It  also  ** seems  to  be  well  supported,"  by  the 
statements  of  Stenhouse  and  others,  that  the  Mormons 
practiced  counterfeiting.  Also,  the  vigorous  and  pic- 
turesque denunciations  of  dishonesty,  profanity, 
swindling,  etc.,  by  Brigham  Young  and  Jedediah  M. 
Grant,  are  cited  as  *' evidences"  that  such  things 
were  common  and  aggravated  among  these  people. 
Ergo,  their  **  record  is  far  from  being  in  accord  with 
their  enormous  claims,"  on  the  principle,  presumably, 
that  *Hhey  who  most  condemn  a  fault  are  pronest  to 
it."  All  such  ill-digested  and  glibly-argued  allega- 
tions are  merely  absurd.  They  argue  less  unfavor- 
ably against  the  evil  character  of  the  people  criticized 
than  against  the  logicality  and  fairness  of  the  people 
who  use  them  as  essential  elements  of  an  arraignment. 
Mormonism  is  here  ** weighed  and  found  wanting," 
because  some  people  in  Mormon  neighborhoods  drank 
whiskey,  stole  or  counterfeited,  or  because  some  peo- 
ple said  that  they  did;  quite  as  though  Methodism, 
Presbyterianism,  and  other  sects,  had  been  singularly 
successful  in  reducing  the  average  of  lapses  in  such 
directions. 

Sinners  Above  All  Men? — ^We  may  remark  at  this 
place  that  the  stock  charges  against  the  character  and 
behavior  of  both  Joseph  Smith  and  of  his  associates 
have  been  thoroughly  epitomized  in  the  book  under 
discussion.  As  we  have  seen,  however,  the  offenses 
with  which  Smith's  youth  is  charged  by  no  means  ex- 
plain or  illuminate  his  doings  or  motives  in  after-life. 
They  are,  in  fact,  ** misfit  sins."  Similarly,  when  we 
come  to  the  section  of  our  author's  booklet,  in  which  he 
attempts  to  ** refute"  the  ** enormous  claims"  of  Mor- 


148       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

monism,  we  are  faced  with  a  precisely  similar  situation. 
We  hear  the  mean  charges  of  a  few  loose-tongued  gos- 
sips and  slanderers,  and  the  self-righteous  allegations 
of  men  who  repeat  the  accusations  of  third  parties,  on 
the  probable  authority  of  still  others,  fourth  and  fifth 
parties,  to  the  effect  that  this  man  was  seen  drunk,  or 
that  he  taught  filthy  immoralities,  of  which  no  one  had 
ever  heard  before  the  publication  of  the  ^ testimony" 
of  some  ^^lady"  or  ** gentleman."  Of  course,  it  will 
be  useless  to  quote  such  sayings  of  Smith  as  the  follow- 
ing, which  in  the  mouths  of  any  other  persons,  would 
be  taken  at  '^face  value."  Speaking  of  temperance, 
he  once  said : 

"I  was  informed  to-day  [Feb.  12,  1836]  that  a  man  by  the 
name  of  Clark,  who  was  under  the  influence  of  ardent  spirits, 
froze  to  death  last  night  near  this  place.  How  long,  0  Lord, 
will  this  monster  intemperance  find  its  victims  on  the  earth! 
I  fear  until  the  earth  is  swept  with  the  wrath  and  indignation 
of  God,  and  Christ's  kingdom  becomes  universal.  O,  come  Lord 
Jesus,  and  cut  short  Thy  work  in  righteousness." — History 
of  the  Church,  Vol.  ii,  p,  406. 

It  is  also  useless?,  probably,  to  quote  this : 

''If  a  man  commit  adultery,  he  cannot  receive  the  celestial 
kingdom  of  God.  Even  if  he  is  saved  in  any  kingdom,  it 
cannot  be  the  celestial  kingdom." — Ihid.y  Vol.  vi,  p.  81. 

It  must  be  said  in  all  truth,  however,  that  these  two 
passages  are  only  examples  of  the  opinions  expressed 
by  Joseph  Smith  throughout  his  entire  career,  and  that 
they  are  as  competent  to  establish  the  purity  of  his 
character  and  motives  as  would  similar  expressions  to 
clarify  the  reputations  of  other  teachers  and  preachers, 
against  the  wanton  allegations  of  venomous  gossips 
and  slanderers. 

No  One  Exempt. — The  author  of  the  book  under 
discussion  makes  his  record  of  the  stock  slanders 
against  Joseph  Smith  with  a  sense  of  complete  secur- 
ity, apparently,  from  similar  attacks  upon  his  own 
friends  and  coreligionists.  Although  we  have  con- 
tended that  such  charges  as  he  has  repeated  establish 
nothing,  and  are  to  be  considered  with  contempt,  when 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  ^^PEACTICE^'      149 

urged  against  any  man  professing  to  be  a  teacher  of 
righteousness  and  an  exemplar  of  decency — as  being, 
evidently,  merely  the  effluvium  of  idle  and  vicious 
minds — we  cannot  refrain  from  reminding  him  and 
the  reading  public  that  perfectly  similar  charges  were 
vehemently  urged  against  the  character  of  John  Wes- 
ley by  certain  of  his  enemies  in  Georgia.  These  ene- 
mies, among  other  things,  charged  him  with  wantonly 
trifling  with  the  affections  of  a  young  woman  of  the 
colony,  breaking  his  promise  to  marry  her,  and,  after 
she  had  wedded  another  man,  declining  to  administer 
the  Christian  sacrament  to  her,  on  the  ground  that  she 
was  **not  worthy."  Of  course,  we  shall  hear  that 
these  charges  have  been  perfectly  refuted  and  ex- 
plained— and  we  believe  that  this  is  the  case — but  we 
cannot  refrain  from  the  remark  that,  refuted  or  not, 
they  are  eminently  illuminating  on  the  motives  of  the 
persons  so  wantonly  attacking  Joseph  Smith.  The 
greater  the  refutation  in  Wesley 's  case,  the  greater  the 
suspicioA  to  be  attached  to  such  charges  in  the  case  of 
Smith,  or  of  any  one  else.  Nor  need  we  hesitate  to 
mention  that  many  Presbyterian  writers  have  argued 
that  John  Calvin  was  not  a  ** common  murderer"  in 
consenting  to,  or  procuring,  the  destruction  of  his 
friend  Servetus.  But  if  the  all-powerful  Calvin  can 
be  ** whitewashed"  from  this  crime,  why  condemn  so 
harshly  the  alleged  tipplings  of  Mr.  Smith?  If  it  is 
proper  to  insist  that  Smith  must  have  been  a  drunkard, 
also  an  idle,  vicious  and  dishonest  character,  because 
certain  of  his  **old  neighbors"  and  sundry  *' ladies" 
and  ** gentlemen"  have  said  so,  what  are  we  to  say 
about  Wesley,  and  numerous  other  professedly  right- 
eous men,  who  have  been  variously  and  mercilessly  ac- 
cused ?  The  *  *  testimonies ' '  and  *  *  accusations ' '  in  such 
cases  emanate  generally  from  depraved  and  gossiping 
minds,  and  are  as  ** conclusive"  in  one  case  as  in  an- 
other. 

Unprejudiced  Testimony. — Turning  from  the  stray 
allegations  of  yarious  apostates  and  enemies  of  Joseph 


150       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

Smith  and  Mormonism,  with  their  accusations  of 
tippling  and  other  common  forms  of  misconduct, 
which  do  not  seem  to  require  Mormon  influence  for 
their  commission  under  ordinary  circumstances,  we 
may  refer  to  some  scraps  of  testimony  from  tion-Mor- 
mon  sources,  upon  the  character  of  the  *^  species  of 
external  morality"  mentioned  by  our  critic.  Its 
value  is  all  the  greater  because  given  in  1881,  before 
** Gentile"  influences  had  become  so  pronounced  and 
so  active  in  the  territory.  Thus,  in  the  words  of  a 
noted  traveler  and  journalist : 

"In  Utah  the  proportion  of  Mormons  to  aU  others  is  as  83 
to  17.  In  the  Utah  Penitentiary  at  the  date  of  the  census 
there  were  51  prisoners,  only  5  of  whom  were  Mormons,  and  2 
of  the  5  were  in  prison  for  polygamy,  so  that  the  17  per 
cent,  'outsiders'  has  46  convicts  in  the  penitentiary,  while  the 
83  per  cent.  Mormons  had  but  5! 

"Out  of  the  200  saloon,  billiard,  bowling  alley  and  pool-table 
keepers  not  over  a  dozen  even  profess  to  be  Mormons.  All  of 
the  bagnios  and  other  disreputable  concerns  in  the  territory 
are  rim  and  sustained  by  non-Mormons.  Ninety-eight  per 
cent,  of  the  gamblers  in  Utah  are  of  the  same  element. 
Ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  Utah  la^vyers  are  Gentiles,  and 
98  per  cent,  of  all  the  litigation  there  is  of  outside  growth 
and  promotion.  Of  the  250  towns  and  villages  in  Utah,  over 
200  have  no  'gaudy  sepulchre  of  departed  virtue,'  and  those 
two  hundred  and  odd  towns  are  almost  exclusively  Mormon 
in  population.  Of  the  suicides  committed  in  Utah  ninety 
odd  per  cent,  are  non-Mormon,  and  of  the  Utah  homicides  and 
infanticides  over  80  per  cent,  are  perpetrated  by  the  17  per 
cent,  of  'outsiders.' " — Phil  Rolinson,  "Sinners  and  Saints/'  p. 
72. 

At  another  place,  this  same  author  makes  the  fol- 
lowing summary  of  his  observations : 

"I  can  assure  my  readers  that  the  standard  of  public  mo- 
rality among  the  Mormons  of  Utah  is  such  as  the  Gentiles 
among  them  are  either  imable  or  unwilling  to  live  up  to." — 
Ibid.  p.  186. 

A  very  similar  verdict  in  this  matter  would  follow 
upon  a  candid  and  careful  examination  of  the  moral 
conditions  existing  to  the  present  time.  In  default  of 
such,  however,  it  is  in  place  to  quote  public  records. 
According  to  the  reports  of  the  State  Penitentiary 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  'PRACTICE''      151 

for  the  first  16  years  of  statehood  (1896-1911),  there 
were  1958  commitments  for  felonies,  out  of  which  only 
377  were  residents  of  the  State,  without  reference  to 
religious  affiliation.  Furthermore,  out  of  this  total, 
there  were  1210  commitments  from  Salt  Lake,  Weber 
and  Utah  counties,  where  the  largest  number  of  *  ^  Gen- 
tiles" are  settled,  and  where  ** outside  influences"  are 
strongest.  How  great  is  the  ''moral  menace"  of  Mor- 
monism ! 

*'The  Darkest  Crime." — Turning  now  from  the 
''dreadful  record"  of  alcoholic  and  predatory  of- 
fenses, which,  as  it  seems,  Mormonism  is  to  be  dis- 
credited for  not  eliminating,  our  author  introduces  us 
to  "the  darkest  crime  which  has  stained  Mormon  an- 
nals in  Utah,"  referring  to  the  massacre  at  Mountain 
Meadows  of  a  party  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  per- 
sons, who  were  on  their  way  through  Utah  to  Cali- 
fornia. Although  disclaiming  any  intention  of  charg- 
ing the  commission  of  this  atrocity  to  the  whole  body 
of  the  Mormon  people,  or  to  their  Church,  he  con- 
cludes, in  true  judicial  style,  that : 

"It  is  chargeable,  however,  against  Mormonism  in  so  far  as 
this  pretentious  system  furnished  in  its  characteristic  teach- 
ings such  a  hotbed  for  fanaticism  as  might  easily  be  produc- 
tive of  outrage  in  the  absence  of  powerful  restraints." 

Mormons  in  the  Lead. — As  the  result  of  his  inves- 
tigations of  the  matter — ^presumably  in  the  writings 
of  a  few  anti-Mormon  agitators — our  author  claims 
that  "two  facts  are  well  established":  (1)  "that 
Mormons  shared  directly  in  its  perpetration";  (2) 
"that  the  Mormons  were  the  principals  in  the  trag- 
edy," the  Indians  being  only  "auxiliaries."  Taking 
the  alleged  "confession"  of  John  D.  Lee  as  his  lead- 
ing authority  in  the  premises,  our  author  mentions, 
among  his  other  significant  considerations,  "the  ad- 
mitted fact  that  a  messenger  was  sent  to  Brigham 
Young  to  get  his  decision  on  the  fate  of  the  emi- 
grants," and  concludes  that  this  act  implied  "an  as- 
sumption .  .  .  that  it  lay  within  the  province  of  Mor- 


152       THE  CASE  AGAINST  MOEMONISM 

mon  power  and  influence  to  destroy  or  to  spare  the 
contemplated  victims."  In  view,  however,  of  Presi- 
dent Young  ^s  reported  reply  that  the  emigrants  should 
be  allowed  to  proceed  unmolested — it  came  too  late, 
as  it  seems — we  read : 

"Thus  the  central  authority  [of  the  Church]  seems  not  to 
have  been  directly  implicated  in  the  deed.  That  it  can  be 
excused  from  condoning  and  hushing  up  all  reference  to  it 
after  its  commission  is  far  from  evident." 

Accessory  After  the  Fact. — In  other  words,  if  not 
** accessory  before  the  fact,''  it  must  still  be  consid- 
ered ** accessory  after  the  fact."  Nevertheless,  in  any 
study  of  this  affair,  we  must  not  overlook  the  following 
considerations:  (1)  that  the  failure  of  the  U.  S. 
courts  to  indict  Brigham  Young  and  other  Mormon 
leaders  for  this  crime  was  due  to  no  lack  of  diligence 
on  the  part  of  the  federal  authorities  to  achieve  this 
very  end;  (2)  that,  although,  undoubtedly,  John  D. 
Lee,  *^who  fulfilled  the  role  of  scapegoat  and  was 
executed  in  1877  for  his  part  in  the  massacre,"  could 
have  bought  pardon  and  release  for  an  accusation 
against  Young  and  others  that  could  have  led  to  con- 
viction, he  never  made  such  an  accusation.  Immedi- 
ately after  the  massacre,  an  investigation  was  begun 
by  Federal  Judge  John  Cradlebaugh,  who,  according 
to  reports  and  appearances  of  his  own  actions,  was 
determined  to  reach  the  *^men  at  the  top."    Thus: 

"Judge  Cradlebaugh,  however,  was  determined  to  make  the 
Mormon  Church  responsible  for  the  crime;  .  .  .  and  in  fact 
for  every  other  deed  of  blood  or  lesser  depredation  committed 
in  his  district.  His  zeal  and  that  of  his  coadjutors  in  this 
direction  caused  Superintendent  Forney  to  remark,  in  his 
report  to  the  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  in  August,  1859 : 
*I  fear,  and  I  regret  to  say  it,  that  with  certain  parties  here 
there  is  a  greater  anxiety  to  connect  Brigham  Young  and 
other  church  dignitaries  with  every  criminal  offense,  than 
diligent  endeavor  to  punish  the  actual  perpetrators  of  crime.' " 
—0.  F.  Whitney,  History  of  Utah,  Vol.  I,  pp.  709-710. 

That  Letter  to  Young. — If  persons  so  intently  de- 
termined on  accomplishing  the  conviction  of  the 
church  authorities  failed,  in  spite  of  all  their  dili- 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN  ^^ PRACTICE"      153 

gence,  it  is  certainly  fair  to  suppose  that  they  found 
nothing  upon  which  they  could  base  a  valid  charge. 
In  regard  to  the  messenger  sent  to  President  Young, 
it  is  desirable  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  was 
dispatched,  not  because  of  an  **  assumption  .  .  .  that 
it  lay  within  the  province  of  Mormon  power  and  in- 
fluence to  destroy  or  to  spare  the  contemplated  vic- 
tims," but,  briefly,  iecause  Brigham  Young  was  at 
this  time  governor  of  Utah  Territory,  [Here,  again, 
anti-Mormonism  has  smothered  facts,  for  the  sake  of 
a  rhetorical  effect.]  The  messenger  sent  out  was 
named  James  H.  Haslam,  and  he,  in  1884,  uttered  a 
sworn  statement  embodying  the  following  passages : 

"Word  came  up  to  Mr.  Haight  from  John  D.  Lee,  stating 
that  the  Indians  had  got  the  emigrants  corralled  on  the 
Mountain  Meadows,  and  wanted  to  know  what  he  should  do. 
.  .  .  He  [Haight]  sent  for  me.  He  had  a  message  written  to 
send  up  to  Brigham  Yoimg,  and  he  wished  to  get  a  man  to 
take  it  up.  ...  He  asked  me  if  I  would  take  it.  I  told  him 
I  would  if  it  was  possible  to  take  it.  .  .  .  He  gave  me  the 
message  to  read.  .  .  .  that  the  Indians  had  got  the  emigrants 
corralled  at  the  Mountain  Meadows,  and  Lee  wanted  to  know 
what  should  be  done.  Lee  at  that  time  was  major  of  what 
was  called  the  Post,  and  was  the  Indian  agent."— 0.  W.  Pen- 
rose, Mountain  Meadows  Massacre,  Supplement,  pp.  79-80. 

The  ''Other  Side." — Of  course,  in  such  an  affair, 
it  is  well  to  hear  both  sides  before  forming  an  opin- 
ion. The  allegations  made  by  persons  resident  in 
Utah  are  to  the  efifect  that  these  emigrants  had  in- 
dulged in  various  words  and  acts  of  contempt  and 
hostility  toward  the  white  inhabitants  of  the  territory 
— having  formed  unfavorable  opinions  of  Mormons 
from  the  preachments  of  other  leaders  of  ''fanati- 
cism,*' probably — and  had  incurred  the  enmity  of  the 
Indians  by  poisoning  springs  and  the  carcasses  of 
cattle  left  in  their  wake.  Such  acts,  if  really  com- 
mitted, show  that  these  people  were  by  no  means  the 
most  careful  and  courteous  travelers  that  ever  crossed 
the  Territory,  and  furnish  a  fair  explanation  for  the 
fact  that,  out  of  all  the  numerous  trains  that  passed 
through  the  country  at  this  period,  they  alone  were 


154      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

singled  out  for  *' severe  treatment."  One  version  of 
the  story  has  it  that  the  whites  who  participated  in  the 
affair,  to  whatever  extent,  were  drawn  into  the  fight 
by  the  fact  that  the  emigrants  persistently  fired  at 
them,  as  well  as  at  the  Indians.  There  seems,  how- 
ever, to  have  been  a  criminal  participation  on  their 
part,  which  was  their  personal  concern,  and  unre- 
lated to  any  influences  '^from  above."  How  their  act 
evidences  ''fanaticism"  and  *'the  absence  of  powerful 
restraints"  is  not  clear. 

Non-Mormon  Massacres. — There  have  been  other 
massacres  in  the  history  of  our  country,  quite  as  bad 
as  this  one,  notably  the  Wyoming  massacre,  in  which 
the  British  soldiers  brought  up  bands  of  armed  Indi- 
ans against  white  settlements  in  Pennsylvania,  accom- 
plishing the  death  of  many  women  and  children  in 
true  aboriginal  fashion.  Another  example,  accom- 
plishing fewer  murders,  but  quite  as  ferocious,  was  the 
massacre  of  Mormon  men,  women  and  children  at 
Haun's  Mill,  Missouri,  in  October,  1838,  in  alleged 
obedience  to  Governor  Boggs'  ''exterminating  order." 
Here  the  victims  were  set  upon  by  one  of  the  numerous 
Missouri  mobs — several  of  these  bodies  of  ' '  citizenry ' ' 
were  accompanied,  or  led,  by  ordained  Protestant 
preachers — and,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  were 
mostly  unarmed,  were  fired  upon.  Also,  numerous 
families  who  had  taken  refuge  in  an  abandoned  black- 
smith shop  were  shot  at  through  the  crevices  of  the 
walls,  several  women  and  little  boys  being  deliberately 
killed.  It  is  very  evident  that  there  are,  in  our  coun- 
try, other  examples  of  "hotbed  for  fanaticism,"  also 
some  not  of  Mormon  planting.  However,  since  only 
nineteen  people  were  murdered  at  Haun's  Mill,  as 
against  120,  more  or  less,  at  Mountain  Meadows,  we 
may  conclude  that  "fanaticism"  fomented  by  the 
tirades  of  Evangelical  preachers  is  only  about  one- 
sixth  as  bloodthirsty  as  that  cultivated  by  Mormons 
and  Utah  Indians.  Such  a  reflection  as  this  should 
be  valuable  to  a  person  of  our  author's  opinions. 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN '^^ PRACTICE''      155 

Nevertheless,  he  remarks,  in  discussing  the  alleged 
hostility  of  the  Mormon  authorities  to  the  National 
Government : 

"The  doings  of  border  communities,  provoked,  though  not 
in  their  actual  form  justified,  by  the  intemperate  claims  of  the 
strange  religionists,  afforded  no  valid  groimd  for  reviling  and 
resisting  the  national  government." 

Reviling  the  Government. — There  are  few  really 
reasonably  proven  accusations  of  such  ** reviling,''  etc., 
as  a  candid  examination  of  the  history  of  Utah  should 
demonstrate.  The  oftenest  quoted  instance  of  this 
sort  of  thing  lies  in  the  so-called  '* rebellion"  of  1857, 
which,  on  the  representations  of  certain  persons  that 
an  uprising  in  the  territory  had  resulteyj  in  the  defi- 
ance of  the  Federal  Courts,  was  the  occasion  for  dis- 
patching a  military  expedition  to  Utah.  This  expe- 
dition found  that  no  such  state  as  had  been  reported 
could  be  found  in  the  Territory,  and  Mormonism 
missed  destruction  at  the  hands  of  the  military. 

A  ''Purely  Spiritual  Dominion." — Still,  as  a  part- 
ing thrust,  our  author  remarks  that  ''disloyalty" 
would  seem  to  be  the  logical  consequence  of  the  "lord- 
ship in  which  the  Mormon  hierarchy  has  declared  its 
right  and  expectation  to  figure."  He  also  complains 
that  "a  purely  spiritual  dominion  has  never  been  its 
ideal."  Such  criticisms  come  with  very  poor  grace 
from  a  representative  of  Protestantism,  which,  in  the 
history  of  our  country,  has  always  vigorously  at- 
tempted to  control  conduct  by  the  passing  of  laws  in- 
tended to  enforce  obedience  to  moral  standards,  other- 
wise to  be  neglected,  even  by  Protestants.  Positively 
no  sect  of  them  all  has  held  to  the  "ideal"  of  "a 
purely  spiritual  dominion."  Actually,  the  expression 
is  almost  meaningless. 

The  Glory  of  God. — That  much-hated  man,  Joseph 
Smith,  once  uttered  the  sentence,  "the  glory  of  God 
is  intelligence,"  and  in  the  foundation  of  his  Church 
organization  he  seems  to  have  adhered  closely  to  this 
idea  of  "glory."    Whatever  may  be  the  defects  of 


156      THE  CASE  AGAINST  MORMONISM 

himself,  or  of  his  Church,  neither  of  them  has  based 
religion  upon  legal  compulsion,  nor  yet  upon  *'re- 
vivalistic"  excitement — the  sole  hopes  of  '*  Evangeli- 
calism." In  this  day  of  ** problems,"  sociological, 
moral  and  economic,  this  organization  alone  offers  a 
proven  method  for  unifying  society  and  reducing  the 
evils  of  civilization  to  a  minimum.  Smith  deliber- 
ately set  himself  the  noble  ideals  of  abolishing  poverty 
and,  even  more  intrepid,  providing  for  the  personal, 
moral  and  intellectual  betterment  of  the  membership 
of  his  Church.  Such  ideals  are  unintelligible  to 
others,  who  vent  their  spleen  by  abusing  him,  and  his 
message,  as  though  either  were  reasonably  an  object 
of  **just  disdain."  In  the  meantime,  many  of  their 
fellows  are  floundering  with  the  atheistical  sophistries 
of  Marxism,  as  though  the  Gospel  had  no  significance 
in  solving  '^sociological  problems." 

What  Mormonism  Really  Is. — ^Whether  or  not  Mor- 
monism  may  be  held  to  be,  as  it  claims,  the  true  Chris- 
tianity perfectly  restored  on  earth,  or  whether  or  not 
some,  or  all,  of  its  adherents  have  fallen  short  of  con- 
sistent living  up  to  their  '  *  enormous  claims, ' '  the  fact 
remains  that  the  Church  and  system  in  question  is  most 
ably  calculated  to  fulfil  all  the  objects  and  functions  of 
the  ideally  Christian  organization.  It  contrives,  not 
only  to  maintain  the  interests  peculiarly  concerned 
with  the  service  of  God,  in  the  form  of  ordinances  and 
the  conduct  of  worship,  but  it  provides  also  the  only 
efficient  mechanism  known  to  history  for  making  the 
performance  of  the  duties  of  one  man  to  another — ^the 
duty  to  the  neighbor — as  actual  and  thorough  as  any 
concerned  with  the  conduct  of  life.  Through  the  op- 
eration of  its  wonderfully-conceived  organization,  it 
promotes  association  and  cooperation  in  all  concerns, 
and  undoubtedly  fosters  a  strong  feeling  and  sense  of 
fellowship  among  its  members.  Among  practical 
achievements  approximated  by  this  organization  are: 
(1)  a  widespread  interest  in  religion,  its  doctrines  and 
ordinances;  (2)  an  ingrafted  tendency  to  cooperation 


MORMONISM  TESTED  IN '' '  PRACTICE ' '      157 

and  common  activities;  (3)  a  certain  sense  of  respon- 
sibility to  one's  associates,  promoting  real  fraternal 
feelings  and  sympathies,  also  an  unusually  high  aver- 
age of  personal  morality  and  probity.  By  such  means, 
while  attempting  in  no  sense  to  alter  or  modify  the 
organization  of  society  or  the  institutions  of  govern- 
ment— as  do  the  usual  orders  of  so-called  **  social  re- 
form" movements  and  theories — it  furnishes  a  hopeful 
and  practical  means  of  dealing  with  social  and  eco- 
nomic problems,  without  violence,  without  agitation, 
and  without  revolution.  If  this  is  not  the  *' divinely- 
ordained  method"  of  achieving  ''temporal  salvation," 
it  is  certain  (1)  that  it  works,  and  (2)  that  there  is 
no  other  efl5cient  contrivance  known  to  man  for  ac- 
complishing the  same  results.  Because  the  latter 
proposition  is  true,  we  find  ourselves  distraught  by  our 
** problems,"  social,  moral  and  economic,  and  no  ''an- 
swers" are  proposed  for  our  acceptance  that  promise 
any  sure  and  reasonable  relief.  It  is  not  entirely  im- 
possible, when  the  fallacy  and  fatuity  of  our  systems 
of  "scientific  sociology"  have  been  demonstrated,  that, 
in  spite  of  the  numerous  misapprehensions,  misrepre- 
sentations and  "scholarly  tests,"  there  may  be  a  wide- 
spread acceptance  of  the  claim  that  the  solutions  of 
present  difficulties  of  civilization  are  represented  by 
the  system  popularly  called  "Mormonism." 


THE  END 


iiiiiliP 


